s^. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


/ 


O 


1 


% 


1.0 


I.I 


Ui  Ui    12.2 

S  144    ■" 
:!f  1^    12.0 


1^  K 

Mil 


1.25  il.4 


1.6 


^^ 


^ 


> 


/ 


y^ 


O 


7 


Photographic 

Sdences 
Corporation 


^'4^ 


93  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WHSTIR.NY.  MSM 

(716)  ■7r4S03 


4^> 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Inatituta  for  Hiatoricai  Microraproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductiona  hiatoriquaa 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notas/Notas  tachniquas  at  bibliographiquas 


Tha  Institute  has  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  bast 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 


D 
D 


D 

n 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagte 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^  et/ou  pelliculAe 


□   Cover  title  missing/ 
Le 


titre  de  couverture  manque 


Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  giographiquas  en  couleur 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encra  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


D 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  an  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
RaliA  avac  d'autras  documents 

Tigh  t  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  r«  Mure  serrAe  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distorsion  la  long  da  la  marga  intiriaura 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  tha  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certainas  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissant  dans  la  texte. 
mais,  lorsqua  cela  *tait  possible,  ces  pages  r'ont 
pas  «t«  film«as. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentairas  supplAmantairas: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  iti  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique.  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  icnaga  reproduite.  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  !a  mithoda  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquis  ci-dessous. 


r~n   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


Pagea  da  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagtos 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaur^!  et/ou  peliiculAes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxei 
Pages  dAcoiories,  tachaties  ou  piquies 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditachies 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualiti  inigale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  matarii 
Comprend  du  material  suppiimantaira 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  idition  disponible 


p~l  Pages  damaged/ 

|~~1  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

r~~n  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

[~n  Pages  detached/ 

rj]  Showthrough/ 

I      I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

p~l  Only  edition  available/ 


T 

s 
T 

d 
ei 
bi 
rii 
ri 
nn 


Pages  wholly  or  partinily  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiallement 
obscurcies  par  un  fauillet  d'errata.  une  pelure, 
etc..  ont  M  filmies  A  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtanir  la  mailleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu*  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

2ex 

30X 

y 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


9 

ktails 
■  du 
lodifier 
r  una 
Image 


The  copy  filmad  hare  hat  b««n  r«produc«d  thanks 
to  the  ganaroaity  of : 

Douglas  Library 
Quaan's  Univarsity 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
posslbia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacif Icatlona. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covara  ara  fllmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion,  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  fiimad  Itaginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impras- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illustratad  Imprassion. 


L'axamplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grAca  A  la 
ginArosit*  da: 

Douglas  Library 
Quaan's  University 

Laa  imagaa  sulvantas  ont  At*  rtoproduitas  avac  le 
plus  grand  aoin,  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattatA  da  raxamplaira  filmA,  at  mn 
conformltA  avac  laa  conditions  du  contrat  da 
fllmaga. 

Laa  axampiairas  orlglnaux  dont  la  couvartura  en 
paplar  ast  imprimAa  sont  filmAs  an  commandant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  empreinte 
d'impraaalon  ou  d'iilustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  aalon  la  cas.  Tous  lea  autres  axampiairas 
orlglnaux  aont  fiimAa  an  commen9ant  par  la 
pramlAra  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impresslon  ou  d'iilustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  darnlAre  paga  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  iaat  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
darniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ►  signifle  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  ▼  signifle  "FIN". 


IVIaps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  retios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  framaa  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Lea  cartas,  planchaa,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  rAduction  diff Arents. 
Lorsqus  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  11  est  filmA  A  pertir 
de  I'angia  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  an  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Laa  diagrammas  suivants 
iiluatrant  la  mAthode. 


rrata 

to 


peiure, 
r>  A 


3 

32X 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

I  i' 


« 


f 


SUGAR  LOAF  OR  PYRAMID  ROCK. 


■  ^  -  J  ,-■.•,.-.-  p  ,      ,  , ,  , 

Old  jiND  Hew  M/ckiuac: 


WITH 


COPIOUS  EXTRACTS 


FROM 


Marquette,  Hennepin,  La  Hontan,  Alexander  Henry, 


AND    OTHBRa 


I 


"  Beauteous  Isle  I    I  sing  of  thee, 
Mackinac,  my  Mackinac ; 
Thy  lake-bound  shores  I  love  to  see, 
Mackinac,  my  Mackinac. 
From  Arch  Rock's  height  and  shelving  steep 
To  western  cliffs  and  Lover's  Leap, 
Where  memories  of  the  lost  one  sleep, 
Mackinac,  my  Mackinac. 

Thy  northern  shore  trod  British  foe, 

Mackinac,  my  Mackinac ; 
That  day  saw  gallant  Holmes  laid  low, 
Mackinac,  ray  Mackinac. 
Now  Freedom's  flag  above  thee  waves, 
And  guards  the  rest  of  fallen  braves. 
Their  requiem  sung  by  Huron's  waves, 
Mackinac,  my  Mackinac." 


By  rev.  J.  ^.  VAN  FLEET,  M.A. 


H 


r///JtD  EDITION. 


:^ 


\k%l^ 


GRAND  RAPIDS,  MICH : 

PRINTftD  AT  "THR  LRVRR  "  BOOK  AND  JOB  OFPtCI. 
1880. 


% 


s?.; 


f-i 


] 


L?   V^7a.\A\lo\la. 


n 

Kntered.  acoordinB  to  Act  of  CongreM,  in  tha  Ytar  1874, 

BY  J.  A.  VAN  FLEET, 
In  the  OiSoe  of  the  Librarian  of  CongrcM,  at  Waibinglon. 


-    %  - 


Preface. 


IN  the  preparation  of.  this  little  volume,  I  have  careiiilly  exam- 
ined the  following  works:  Holmes's  American  Annals,  two 
volumes ;  Robertson's  History  of  America ;  Bancroft's  United  States; 
Bell's  Canada,  two  volumes;  Albach's  Annals  of  the  West;  Lahn- 
man's  Michigan;  Sheldon's  Early  Michigan;  Historical  and  Scien- 
tific Sketches  of  Michigan;  Neill's  Minnesota;  Smith's  Wisconsin, 
three  volumes;  Wynne's  General  History  of  the  British  Empire; 
Rogers's  Concise  Account  of  North  America ;  Dillon's  Early  Settle- 
ment of  the  North-western  Territory;  Heriot's  Canada;  Parkman's 
Pontiac;  Parkman's  Discovery  of  the  Great  West;  Schoolcraft's 
Works,  complete;  Documentary  History  of  New  York,  complete; 
Palmer's  Historical  Register,  1814;  Shea's  Discovery  and  Explo- 
ration of  the  Mississippi ;  also.  Shea's  Catholic  Missions ;  Henne- 
pin ;  La  Hontan,  two  volumes ;  Charlevoix,  two  volumes ;  Alexander 
Henry;  Carver;  Disturnell;  Newcomb's  Cyclopaedia  of  Missions; 
American  Missions  to  the  Heathen;  Geological  Reports  by  Foster 
and  Whitney,  and  by  Professor  Winchell ;  Thatcher's  Indian  Biog- 
raphy, two  volumes ;  Strickland's  Old  Mackinaw ;  Drake's  North- 
em  Lakes  and  Southern  Invalids ;  also,  Diseases  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  by  the  same  author. 

I  am  also  greatly  indebted  to  Messrs.  Ambrose  and  William 
Davenport,  for  a  detailed  account  of  the  War  of  181 2  in  its  con- 
nection with  this  island.  These  gentlemen  were  boys  of  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  years  of  age  at  the  time,  and  were  eye-witneuet 


30642.07 


4  PREFACE. 

of  all  that  passed.  Thetr  account  agrees,  in  every  important  partic- 
ular, with  the  official  returns  of  Comntodore  Sinclair  and  Colonel 
Croghan;  but  is,  of  course,  much  more  minute. 

Several  other  citizens  of  the  plate  have  likewise  rendered  val- 
uable assistance  in  matters  falling  within  the  scope  of  their  recol- 
lection. I  also  desire  to  acknowledge  my  obligation  to  Edgar 
Conkling,  Esq.,  of  Mackinac  City,  for  valuable  notes  and  sugges- 
tions, and  to  H.  R.  Mills,  M.  D.,  of  Fort  Mackinac,  and  Rev. 
J.  M.  Arnold,  of  Detroit,  for  assistance  in  getting  the  work  through 
the  press. 

This  book  has  been  prepared  to  meet  a  want  long  felt  and  often 

expressed  by  the  many  who  throng  this  island  in  quest  of  health 

or  pleasure  during  the  Summer.    That  it  may  accomplish  this  end, 

is  the  earnest  wish  of  the  author.  ,, 

J.  A.  V. 

Mackinac,  July  4,  1870. 


■'*'^^'^fiA^.., 


CLEVCIANO. 


CHAPTER  I. 


JESUIT    HISTORY. 


THE  first  pale-faces  who  ventured  into  the  region  stretching 
around  the  great  lakes,  were  Jesuit  missionaries.  Of  these, 
the  first  who  claim  a  notice  here'  are  the  Fathers  Charles 
Kaymbault  and  Isaac  Jogues.  In  1641,  these  two  men  visited 
the  Chippewas  at  the  Sault,  and  established  a  mission  among 
them ;  but  Raymbault  soon  after  fell  a  victim  to  consumption, 
and  the  enterprise  was  abandoned.  Desperate  Indian  wars, 
which  soon  followed,  prevented  any  further  attempt  to  establish 

5 


OLD   AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 


missions  among  the  Indians  around  the  lakes  for  nearly  thirty 
years. 

In  the  Spring  of  1668,  the  illustrious  Father  James  Mar- 
quette was  ordered  to  repair  to  the  Ottawa  Mission,  as  that 
around  Lake  Superior  was  then  called.  Arriving  at  the  Sault, 
he  planted  his  cabin  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  on  the  American 
side,  and  began  his  work.  In  the  following  year  he  was  joined 
by  Father  Dablon,  Superior  of  the  mission,  and  by  their  united 
exertions  a  church  was  soon  built.  This  was  the  first  permanent 
settlement  made  on  the  soil  of  Michigan. 

During  that  same  year,  Marquette  repaired  to  Lapointe,  near 
the  western  extremity  of  Lake  Suijerior,  leaving  Dablon  to  con- 
tinue the  mission  at  the  Sault.  When  he  arrived  at  his  new  field 
of  labor,  he  found  several  Indian  villages,  one  of  which  was 
composed  of  Hurons,  who,  several  years  before,  had  dwelt,  for 
a  short  time,  on  Mackinac  Island. 

Previous  to  leaving  the  Sault,  Marquette  had  heard  vague 
reports  of  the  "  Great  River,"  and  had  formed  the  design  of  one 
day  exploring  it,  and  preaching  the  gospel  to  those  far-off  nations 
Who  dwelt  upon  its  banks.  That  he  might  carry  out  this  design, 
he  obtained,  while  at  Lapointe,  an  Illinois  captive,  and  dili- 
gently studied  the  language,  hoping  that  he  would  be  permitted 
to  visit  that  people  in  the  following  Fall.  B>:t  in  this  he  was 
doomed  to  disappointment.  A  war  which  broke  out  between 
the  Sioux  and  tie  Hurons  and  Ottawas,  compelled  the  two  last 
mentioned  tribes  to  leave  Lapointe  and  seek  a  new  home. 
Marquette's  lot  was  cast  with  the  Hurons,  who  embarked  in 
their  frail  canoes,  descended  the  rapids  of  St.  Mary's,  and  "re- 
meml .  'ng  the  rich  fisheries  of  Mackinac,  resolved  to  return  to 
that  pebbly  strand."  Having  fixed  upon  a  place  of  abode,  the 
missionary's  first  thought  was  the  establishment  of  a  mission  for 
the  spiritual  good  of  his  savage  followers.  While  making  the 
necessary  preparations  for  the  erection  of  a  chapel  and  the  per- 
manent founding  of  his  colony,  he  dwelt  on  this  island. 

The  following  extract  is  from  a  letter  written  by  Marquette 
in  1 67 1,  and  published  in  the  Relations  des  Jesuits  of  that  year: 


JESUIT   HISTORY. 


"  Michilimackinac  is  an  island  famous  in  these  regions,  of 
more  than  a  league  in  diameter,  and  elevated  in  some  places  by 
such  high  cliffs  as  to  be  seen  more  than  twelve  leagues  off.  It 
is  situated  just  in  the  strait  forming  the  communication  between 
Lake  Huron  and  Illinois  (Michigan).  It  is  the  key  and,  as  it 
were,  the  gate  for  ail  the  tribes  from  the  south,,  as  the  Sault  is 
for  those  of  the  north,  there  being  in  this  section  of  country 
only  those  two  passages  by  water ;  for  a  great  number  of  nations 
have  to  go  by  one  or  other  of  these  channels,  in  order  to  reach 
the  French  settlements. 

"This  presents  a  peculiarly  favorable  opportunity,  both  for 
instructing  those  who  pass  here,  and  also  for  obtaining  easy 
access  and  conveyance  to  their  places  of  abode. 

"This  place  is  the  most  noted  in  these  regions  for  the 
abundance  of  its  fishes;,  for,  according  to  the  Indian  saying, 
'  this  is  the  home  of  the  fishes.'  Elsewhere,  although  they  exist 
in  large  numbers,  it  is  not  properly  their  '  home,'  which  is  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Michilimackinac. 

"  In  fact,  besides  the  fish  common  to  all  the  other  tribes,  as 
the  herring,  carp,  pike,  gold-fish,  white-fish,  and  sturgeon,  there 
are  found  three  varieties  of  the  trout, — one  common ;  the  second 
of  a  larger  size,  three  feet  long  and  one  foot  thick ;  the  third 
monstrous,  for  we  can  not  otherwise  describe  it,  it  being  so  fat 
that  the  Indians,  who  have  a  peculiar  relish  for  fats,  can  scarcely 
eat  it.  Besides,  the  supply  is  such  that  a  single  Indian  will 
lake  forty  or  fifty  of  them  through  the  ice,  with  a  single  spear, 
in  three  hours. 

"  It  is  this  attraction  which  has  heretofore  drawn  to  a  point 
so  advantageous  the  greater  part  of  the  savages  m  this  country, 
driven  away  by  fear  of  the  Iroquois.  The  three  tribes  at  pres- 
ent living  on  the  Baydes  Fttants  (Green  Bay)  as  strangers,  for- 
merly dwelt  on  the  main-land  near  the  middle  of  this  island — 
some  on  the  borders  of  Lake  Illinois,  others  on  the  borders  of 
Lake  Huron.  A  part  of  them,  called  Sauteurs,  had  their  abode 
on  the  main-land  at  the  west,  and  the  others  looked  upon  this 
place  as  their  country  for  passing  the  Winter,  when  there  are  no 


8 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


fish  at  the  Sault.  The  Hurons,  called  Eionontathronnons,  have 
lived  for  some  years  id  the  same  island,  to  escape  the  Iroquois. 
Four  villages  of  Ottawas  had  also  their  abode  in  this  quarter. 

"  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  those  who  bore  the  name  of  the 
island,  and  called  themselves  Michilimackinac,  were  so  numer- 
ous that  some  of  the  survivors  yet  living  here  assure  us  that 
they  once  had  thirty  villages,  all  inclosed  in  a  fortification  of  a 
league  and  a  half  in  circuit,  when  the  Iroquois  came  and  de- 
feated them,  inflated  by  a  victory  they  had  gained  over  three 
thousand  men  of  that  nation,  who  had  carried  their  hostilities  as 
far  as  the  country  of  the  Agnichronnons. 

"In  one  word,  the  quantity  of  fish,  united  with  the  excel- 
lence of  the  soil  for  Indian  corn,  has  always  been  a  powerful 
attraction  to  the  tribes  in  these  regions,  of  which  the  greater 
part  subsist  only  on  fish,  but  some  on  Indian  corn.  On  this 
account,  many  of  these  same  tribes,  perceiving  that  the  peace 
is  likely  to  be  established  with  the  Iroquois,  have  turned  their 
attention  to  this  point,  so  convenient  for  a  return  to  their  own 
country,  and  will  follow  fhe  examples  of  those  who  have  made 
a  beginning  on  the  islands  of  Lake  Huron,  which  by  this  means 
will  soon  be  peopled  from  one  end  to  the  other,  an  event  highly 
desirable  to  facilitate  the  instruction  of  the  Indian  race,  whom  it 
would  not  be  necessary  to  seek  by  journeys  of  two  or  three 
hundred  leagues  on  these  great  lakes,  with  inconceivable  danger 
and  hardship. 

"  In  order  to  aid  the  execution  of  the  design,  signified  to  us  by 
many  of  the  savages,  of  taking  up  their  abode  at  this  point, 
where  some  have  already  passed  the  Winter,  hunting  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, we  ourselves  have  also  wintered  here,  in  order  to  make 
arrangements  for  establishing  the  Mission  of  St,  Jgnace^  from 
whence  it  will  be  easy  to  have  access  to  all  the  Indians  of  Lake 
Huron,  when  the  several  tribes  shall  have  settled  each  on  its 
own  lands. 

"  With  these  advantages,  the  place  has  also  its  inconven- 
iences, particularly  for  the  French,  who  &ie  not  yet  familiar,  as 
are  the  savages,  with  the  different  kinds  of  fi';^'ery,  in  which 


JESUIT   HISTORY. 


the  latter  are  trained  from  their  birth  ;  the  winds  and  the  tides 
occasion  no  sm<ill  embarrassment  to  the  fishermen. 

"The  winds:  For  this  is  the  central  point  between  the 
three  great  lakes  which  surround  it,  and  which  seem  inces- 
santly tossing  ball  at  each  other.  For  no  sooner  has  the  wind 
ceased  blowing  from  Lake  Michigan  than  Lake  Huron  hurls 
back  the  gale  it  has  received,  and  Lake  Superior  in  its  turn 
sends  forth  its  blasts  from  another  quarter,  and  thus  the  game 
is  played  from  one  to  the  other ;  and  as  these  lakes  are  of  vast 
extent,  the  winds  can  not  be  otherwise  than  boisterous,  espe- 
cially during  the  Autumn." 

From  this  letter  we  conclude  that  ^I'arquette  must  have 
come  to  Michilimackinac  in  1670,  as  he  spent  a  Winter  here 
before  the  establishment  of  his  mission.  Point  Iroquois,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  straits,  was  selected  as  the  most  suitable 
place  for  the  proposed  mission,  and  there,  in  167 1,  a  rude  and 
unshapely  chapel,  its  sides  of  logs  and  its  roof  of  bark,  was 
raised  as  "  the  first  sylvan  shrine  of  Catholicity"  at  Mackinac. 
This  primitive  temple  was  as  simple  as  the  faith  taught  by  the 
devoted  missionary,  and  had  nothing  to  impress  the  senses, 
nothing  to  win  by  a  dazzling  exterior,  the  wayward  children  of 
the  forest.  The  new  mission  was  called  St.  Ignatius,  in  honor 
of  the  founder  of  the  Jesuit  order,  and  to  this  day  the  name  is 
perpetuated  in  the  point  upon  which  the  mission  stood. 

During  the  Summer  of  167 1,  an  event  occurred  of  no  com- 
mon interest  and  imix>rtance  in  the  annals  of  French  history 
in  America,  but  which,  after  all,  was  not  destined  to  exert  any 
lasting  influence.  Mutual  interests  had  long  conspired  to  unite 
the  Algonquins  of  the  west  and  the  French  in  confirmed 
friendship.  The  Algonquins  desired  commerce  and  protection ; 
the  French,  while  they  coveted  the  rich  furs  which  these  tribes 
brought  them,  coveted  also  an  extension  of  political  power  to 
the  utmost  limits  of  the  western  wilderness.  Hence,  Nicholas 
Perrot  had  been  commissioned  as  the  agent  of  the  French  Gov- 
ernment, to  call  a  general  Congress  of  the  lake  tribes  at  the 
Falls  of  St.  Mary.     The  invitations  of  this  enthusiastic   agent 


■■'^-  \ 


lO 


OLD    AND    NEW    MACKINAC, 


of  the  Bourbon  dynasty  reached  the  tribes  of  Lake  Superior, 
and  were  carried  even  to  the  wandering  hordes  of  the  remotest 
north.  Nor  were  the  nations  of  the  south  neglected.  Obtain- 
ing an  escort  of  Potawatomies  at  Green  Bay,  Perrot,  the  first 
of  Europeans  to  visit  that  place,  repaired  to  the  Miamis  at 
Chicago,  on  the  same  mission  of  friendshi  . 

In  May,  the  day  appointed  for  the  unwonted  spectacle  of 
the  Congress  of  Nations  arrived.  St.  Lusson  was  the  French 
official,  and  Allouez  his  interpreter.  From  the  head-waters  of 
the  Sc.  Lawrence,  from  the  Mississippi,  from  the  Great  Lakes, 
and  even  from  the  Red  River,  envoys  of  the  wild  republicans 
of  the  wilderness  were  present.  And  brilliantly  clad  officers 
from  the  veteran  armies  of  France,  with  here  and  there  a 
Jesuit  missionary,  completed  the  vast  assembly.  A  cross  was 
set  up,  a  cedar  post  marked  with  the  French  lilies,  and  the 
representatives  of  the  wilderness  tribes  were  informed  that  they 
were  under  the  protection  of  the  French  king.  Tlius,  in  the 
presence  of  the  ancient  races  of  America,  were  the  authority 
and  the  faith  of  France  uplifted  in  the  very  heart  of  our  con- 
tinent. But  the  Congress  proved  only  an  echo,  soon  to  die 
away,  and  left  no  abiding  monument  to  mark  its  glory. 

Marquette  has  left  no  details  of  his  first  year's  labor  in  his 
new  mission ;  but  during  the  second  year  he  wrote  the  following 
letter  to  Father  Dablon.  This  letter  has  been  published  from 
the  manuscript,  by  John  G.  Shea,  in  his  "  Discovery  and  Ex- 
ploration of  the  Mississippi,"  and  to  him  we  are  indebted 
for  it : 

"Rev.  Father, — ^The  Hurons,  called  Tionnontateronnons, 
or  Petun  Nation,  who  compose  the  Mission  of  St.  Ignatius 
at  Michilimackinong,  began  last  year  near  the  chapel  a  fort 
inclosing  all  their  cabins.  They  have  come  regularly  to  prayers, 
and  have  listened  more  readily  to  the  instructions  I  gave 
them,  consenting  to  what  I  required  to  prevent  their  disorders 
and  abominable  customs.  We  must  have  patience  with  un- 
tutored minds,  who  know  only  the  devil,  who,  like  their  ances- 
tors, have  been  his  slaves,  and  who  often  relapse  into  the  sins 


^-^: 


t  j 


JESUIT  HISTORY. 


# 


in  which  they  were  nurtured.  God  alone  can  fix  these  fickle 
minds,  and  place  and  keep  tiiem  in  his  grace,  and  touch  their 
hearts  while  we  stammer  at  their  ears. 

"  The  Tionnontateronnons  number  this  year  three  hundred 
and  eighty  souls,  and  besides  sixty  Outaouasinagaux  have  joined 
them.  Some  of  these  came  from  the  Mission  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier,  where  Father  Andre  wintered  with  them  last  year.  They 
are  quite  changed  from  what  I  saw  them  at  Lapointe.  The  zeal 
and  patience  of  that  missionary  have  gained  to  the  faith  those 
hearts  which  seemed  to  us  most  averse  to  it.  They  now  wish  to 
be  C.istians  3  they  bring  their  children  to  the  chapel  to  be 
bapti:&cd,  and  come  regularly  to  prayers. 

"  Having  been  obliged  to  go  to  St.  Marie  du  Sault  with 
Father  Allouez  last  Summer,  the  Hurons  came  to  the  chapel 
during  my  absence  as  regularly  as  if  I  had  been  there,  the  girls 
singing  what  prayers  they  knew.  They  counted  the  days  of  my 
absence,  and  constantly  asked  when  I  was  to  be  back.  I  was 
absent  only  fourteen  days,  and  on  my  arrival  all  assembled  at 
chapel,  some  coming  even  from  their  fields,  which  are  at  a  very 
considerable  distance. 

"I  went  readily  to  their  pumpkin-feast,  where  I  instructed 
them,  and  invited  them  to  thank  God,  who  gave  them  food  in 
plenty,  while  other  tribes  that  had  not  yet  embraced  Christianity 
were  actually  struggling  with  famine.  I  ridiculed  dreams,  and 
urged  those  who  had  been  baptized  to  acknowledge  Him  whose 
adopted  children  they  were.  Those  who  gave  the  feast,  though 
still  idolaters,  spoke  in  high  terms  of  Christianity,  and  openly 
made  the  sign  of  the  cross  before  aU  present.  Some  young  men, 
whom  they  had  tried  by  ridicule  to  prevent  from  doing  it,  per- 
severed, and  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  in  the  greatest  assemblies, 
v";ven  when  I  am  not  present. 

"  An  Indian  of  distinction  among  the  Hurons,  having  in- 
vited me  to  a  feast  where  the  chiefs  were,  called  them  severally 
by  nam*;,  and  told  them  that  he  wished  to  declare  his  thoughts, 
that  all  might  know  it,  namely,  that  he  was  a  Christian ;  that 
he  renounced  the  god  of  dreams  and  all  their  lewd  dances ; 


u 


OLD    AND    NEW    MACKINAC. 


I- 


that  the  black-gown  was  master  of  his  cabin  ]  and  that  for 
nothing  that  might  happen  would  he  forsake  his  resolution. 
Delighted  to  hear  this,  I  spoke  more  strongly  than  I  had  evei 
yet  done,  telling  them  that  my  only  design  was  to  put  them  in 
the  way  of  heaven  ;  that  for  this  alone  I  remained  among  them  ; 
that  this  obliged  me  to  assist  them  at  the  peril  of  my  life.  As 
soon  as  any  thing  is  said  in  an  assembly,  it  is  immediately 
divulged  through  all  the  cabins,  as  I  saw  in  this  case  by  the 
assiduity  of  some  in  coming  to  prayers,  and  by  the  malicious 
efforts  of  others  to  neutralize  my  instructions. 

•  "Severe  as  the  Winter  is,  it  does  not  prevent  the  Indians 
from  coming  to  the  chapel.  Some  come  twice  a  day,  be  the 
wind  or  cold  what  it  may.  Last  Fall  I  began  to  instruct  some 
to  make  general  confessions  of  their  whole  life,  and  to  prepare 
others  who  had  never  confessed  since  their  baptism.  I  would 
not  have  supposed  that  Indians  could  have  given  so  exact  an 
account  of  all  that  had  happened  in  the  course  of  their  life ; 
but  it  was  seriously  done,  as  some  took  two  weeks  to  examine 
themselves.  Since  ther.  I  have  perceived  a  marked  change  ;  so 
that  they  will  not  go  even  to  ordinary  feasts  without  asking  my 
permission. 

"I  have  this  year  baptized  twenty-eight  children,  one  of 
which  had  been  brought  from  Ste.  Marie  du  Sault,  without 
having  received  that  sacrament,  as  the  Rev.  F.  Henry  Nouvel 
informed  me,  to  put  me  on  my  guard.  Without  my  knowing 
it,  the  child  fell  sick  j  but  God  permitted  that,  while  instructing 
in  my  cabin  two  important  and  sensible  Indians,  one  asked  me 
whether  such  a  sick  child  was  baptized.  I  went  at  once,  bap- 
tized it,  and  it  died  the  next  night.  Some  of  the  other  children, 
too,  are  dead,  and  now  in  heaven.  These  are  the  consolations 
which  God  sends  us,  which  make  us  esteem  our  life  more  happy 
as  it  is  more  wretched. 

"  This,  Father,  is  all  I  have  to  give  about  this  mission, 
where  minds  are  now  more  mild,  tractable,  and  better  disposed 
to  receive  instruction,  than  in  any  other  part.  I  am  ready, 
however,  to  leave  it  in  the  hands  of  another  missionary  to  go 


JESUIT  HISTORY. 


•^ 


on  your  order  to  seek  new  nations  toward  the  South  Sea  who 
are  still  unknown  to  us,  and  to  teach  them  of  our  great  God, 
whom  they  have  hitherto  unknown." 

While  Marquette  was  thus  engaged  in  the  labors  of  his 
mission,  his  project  for  discovering  and  exploring  the  Mississippi 
had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  French  Government,  and 
through  the  influence  of  M.  Talon,  the  intendant,  a  resolution 
had  been  formed  to  act  in  the  matter  at  once.  It  is  worthy  of 
remark  that  the  French,  supposing  that  the  Mississippi  might 
empty  into  the  Gulf  6f  California,  hoped,  in  discovering  that 
river,  to  find  also  a  short  pussage  across  the  continent  to  China. 
Having  once  formed  the  resolution  to  go  in  search  of  the  Great 
River,  they  were  not  long  in  making  all  needful  preparation  for 
putting  it  into  execution. 

Sieur  Joliet  was  designated  as  the  agent  of  the  French  Gov- 
ernment to  carry  out  the  design,  and  Marquette  was  to  accom- 
pany him.  But  little  is  known  of  Joliet  except  in  his  connection 
with  this  one  enterprise,  which  alone  is  sufficient  to  immortalize 
his  name.  The  following  extract  is  taken  from  Shea's  "Dis- 
covery and  Exploration  of  the  Missfssippi  Valley."  It  is  from 
the  pen  of  Father  Dablon,  and  will  give  sufficient  information 
concerning  him  to  serve  the  present  purpose : 

"They  were  not  mistaken  in  their  choice  of  the  Sieur  Joliet; 
for  he  was  a  young  man  born  in  this  country,  and  endowed 
with  every  quality  that  could  be  desired  in  such  an  enterprise. 
He  possessed  experience,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  languages  of 
the  Ottawa  country,  where  he  had  spent  several  years  ;  he  had 
the  tact  and  prudence  so  necessary  for  the  success  of  a  voyage 
equally  dangerous  and  difficult ;  and,  lastly,  he  had  courage  to 
fear  nothing  where  all  is  to  be  feared.  He  accordingly  fulfilled 
the  expectations  entertained  of  him  ;  and  if,  after  having  passed 
through  dangers  of  a  thousand  kinds,  he  had  not  unfortunately 
been  wrecked  in  the  very  harbor — his  canoe  having  upset  below 
the  Sault  St.  Louis,  near  Montreal,  where  he  lost  his  men  and 
papers,  and  only  escaped,  by  a  kind  of  miracle,  with  his  life — 
%A.t  success  of  his  voyage  had  left  nothing  to  be  desired.*' 


K 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


When  the  Ottawa  flotilla  of  1672  brought  back  from  Quebec 
the  news  that  his  long-cherished  desire  was  about  to  begratifiod, 
Marquette  exulted  at  the  prospect  before  him.  It  involved 
danger  and  hardship;  the  way  was  blocked  up  by  hostile  Indian 
tribes,  and  his  health  was  already  impaired  by  the  trials  and 
privations  which  had  fallen  to  his  lot,  but  no  consideration  of 
personal  safety  could  deter  him  from  his  purpose.  It  even 
gloried  in  the  prospect  of  martyrdom. 

Joliet,  at  length,  arrived  at  the  mission,  and  together  they 
spent  the  Winter  in  making  the  necessary  arrangements  for  the 
voyage.  The  following  quotation  is  from  Marquette's  own  nar- 
rative, as  published  by  Shea : 

"The  day  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  whom  I  had  always  invoked  since  I  have  been  in  this 
Ottawa  country,  to  obtain  of  God  the  grace  to  be  able  to  visit 
the  nations  on  the  river  Mississippi,  was  identically  that  on 
which  M.  Joliet  arrived  with  orders  of  the  Comte  de  Frontenac, 
our  governor,  and  M.  Talon,  our  intendant,  to  make  this  dis- 
covery with  me.  I  was  the  more  enraptured  at  this  good  news, 
as  I  saw  my  designs  on  the  point  of  being  accomplished,  and 
myself  in  the  happy  necessity  of  exposing  my  life  for  the  salva- 
tion of  all  these  nations,  and  particularly  for  the  Illinois,  who 
had,  when  I  was  at  Lapointe  du  St.  Esprit,  very  earnestly  en- 
treated me  to  carry  the  word  of  God  to  their  country. 

"We  were  not  long  in  preparing  our  outfit,  although  we  were 
embarking  on  a  voyage  the  duration  of  which  we  could  not 
foresee.  Indian  corn,  with  some  dried  meat,  was  our  whole 
stock  of  provisions.  With  this,  we  set  out  in  two  bark  canoes — 
M.  Joliet,  myself,  and  five  men — firmly  resolved  to  do  all  and 
suffer  all  for  so  glorious  an  enterprise. 

"It  was  on  the  17th  of  May,  1673,  that  we  started  from  the 
Mission  of  St.  Ignatius,  at  Michilimackinac,  where  I  then  was. 
Our  joy  at  being  chosen  for  this  expedition  roused  our  courage, 
and  sweetened  the  labor  of  rowing  from  morning  till  night.  As 
we  were  going  to  seek  unknown  countries,  we  took  all  possible 
precautions,  that,  if  our  enterprise  was  hazardous,  it  should  not 


JESUIT  HISTORY. 


be  foolhardily.  For  this  reason  we  gathered  all  possible  infor- 
mation from  Indians  who  had  frequented  those  parts,  and  even 
from  their  accounts  traced  a  map  of  all  the  new  country,  marking 
down  the  rivers  on  which  we  were  to  sail,  the  names  of  the 
nations  and  places  through  which  we  were  to  pass,  the  course 
of  the  Great  River,  and  what  direction  we  should  take  when  we 
got  to  it. 

"  Above  all,  I  put  our  voyage  under  the  protection  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Immaculate,  promising  her,  that  if  she  did  us 
the  grace  to  discover  the  Great  River,  I  would  give  it  the  name 
of  Conception  ;  and  that  I  would  also  give  that  name  to  the  first 
mission  which  I  should  establish  among  these  new  nations,  as  I 
have  actually  done  among  the  Illinois. 

"With  all  these  precautions,  we  made  our  paddles  play 
merrily  over  a  part  of  Lake  Huron,  and  that  of  the  Illinois, 
into  the  Bay  of  the  Fetid  (Green  Bay).  The  first  nation  that  we 
met  was  that  of  the  Wild  Oats  (ilnglish,  wild  rice).  I  entered 
their  river  (Menomonie)  to  visit  them,  as  we  have  preached  the 
gospel  to  these  tribes  for  some  years  past,  so  that  there  are 
many  good  Christians  among  them. 

"  I  informed  these  people  of  the  Wild  Oats  of  my  design  of 
going  to  discover  distant  nations  to  instruct  them  in  the  mys- 
teries of  our  holy  religion  ;  they  were  very  much  surprised, 
and  did  their  best  to  dissuade  me.  They  told  me  that  I  would 
meet  nations  that  never  spare  strangers,  but  tomahawk  them 
without  any  provocation  ;  that  the  war  which  had  broken  out 
among  various  nations  on  our  route,  exposed  us  to  another  evi- 
dent danger — that  of  being  killed  by  the  war-parties  which  are 
constantly  in  the  field  ;  that  the  Great  River  is  very  dangerous, 
unless  the  difiicult  parts  are  known  ;  that  it  was  full  of  frightful 
monsters,  who  swallowed  up  men  and  canoes  together;  that 
there  is  even  a  demon  there  who  can  be  heard  from  afar,  who 
stops  the  passage  and  ingulfs  all  who  dare  approach ;  lastly, 
that  the  heat  is  so  excessive  in  those  countries  that  it  would 
infallibly  cause  our  death. 

"  I  thanked  them  for  their  kind  advice,  but  assured  them 


f      ! 


r  v 


OLD   AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 


11} 


that  I  could  not  follow  it,  as  the  salvation  of  souls  was  con- 
cerned ;  that  for  them  I  should  be  too  happy  to  lay  down  my  life  j 
that  I  made  light  of  their  pretended  demon ;  that  we  would 
defend  ourselves  well  enough  against  the  river-monsters ;  and, 
besides,  we  should  be  on  our  guard  to  avoid  the  other  dangers 
with  which  they  threatened  us." 

Space  will  not  permit  us  to  describe  tl.e  journey  of  the 
adventurers  in  detail.  We  can  only  say  that  they  proceeded  to 
the  head  of  Green  Bay,  entered  Fox  River,  which  they  ascended 
to  the  portage,  crossed  over  to  the  Wisconsin,  and  on  the  17th 
day  of  June,  feeling  a  joy  that  could  not  be  expressed,  entered 
the  Mississippi.  From  the  Wisconsin  they  descended  to  the 
Arkansas,  whence  they  returned,  satisfied  that  the  Father  of 
Rivers  went  not  to  the  ocean  east  of  Florida,  nor  yet  to  the 
Gulf  of  California,  Arriving  at  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois,  they 
entered  that  river,  by  which  route  they  reached  Lake  Michigan 
at  Chicago,  and,  coasting  along  the  western  shore  of  that  lake, 
arrived  at  Green  Bay  before  the  end  of  September. 

Here  Joliet  took  his  leave  of  Marquette,  and  returned  to 
Quebec ;  while  Marquette  remained  at  the  mission  to  recruit  his 
failing  health  before  again  entering  upon  his  missionary  labors. 
On  his  return,  he  had  promised  a  tribe  of  the  Illinois  Indians 
that  he  would  soon  establish  a  mission  among  them,  and  this 
fact  he  doubtless  communicated  to  his  superiors  at  Montreal  by 
the  Ottawa  flotilla  of  the  following  year.  The  return  of  the 
fleet  of  canoes  brought  him  the  necessary  order;  sind  on  the 
2Sth  of  October,  1674,  he  set  out  to  establish  his  long-projected 
Illinois  Mission.  His  former  malady — dysentery — however,  re- 
turned, and  he  was  compelled,  with  his  two  companions,  to 
winter  on  the  Chicago  River.  In  the  Spring  of  1675  ^^  was 
able  to  complete  his  journey,  and  begin  his  mission ;  but  a  re- 
newed and  more  vigorous  attack  of  disease  soon  satisfied  him 
that  his  labors  ort  earth  were  nearly  done.  He  could  not  die, 
however,  without  again  visiting  his  beloved  mission  at  Mackinac, 
and  bowing  in  the  chapel  of  St.  Ignatius.  He  therefore  set  out, 
hoping  that  his  failing  strength  would  permit  him  to  accomplish 


•'■  11 


1\ 


JESUIT  HISTORY. 


'7 


the  journey.  As  he  coasted  along  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan,  his  strength  gradually  fiiiled,  and  he  was  at  last  so 
weak  that  he  could  no  longer  help  himself,  but  had  to  be  lifted 
in  and  out  of  his  canoe  when  they  landed  each  night.  At  last, 
perceiving  the  mouth  of  a  river,  he  pointed  to  an  eminence  near 
by,  and  told  his  companions  that  it  was  the  place  of  his  last 
repose.  They  wished,  however,  to  pass  on,  as  the  weather  was 
fine  and  the  day  not  far  advanced ;  but  a  wind  soon  arose  which 
compelled  them  to  return  and  enter  the  river  pointed  out  by  the 
dying  missionary.  They  carried  him  ashore,  erected  a  little 
bark  cabin,  kindled  a  fire,  and  made  him  as  comfortable  as  they 
could.  Having  heard  the  confessions  of  his  companions,  and 
encouraged  them  to  rely  with  confidence  on  the  protection  of 
God,  Marquette  now  sent  them  away,  to  take  the  repose  they  so 
much  needed. 

Two  or  three  hours  afterward,  he  felt  his  end  approaching, 
and  summoned  his  companions  to  his  side.  Taking  his  crucifix 
from  around  his  neck,  and  placing  it  in  their  hands,  he  pro- 
nounced, in  a  firm  voice,  his  profession  of  faith,  and  thanked  the 
Almighty  for  the  favor  of  permitting  him  to  die  a  Jesuit,  a 
missionary,  and  alone.  Then,  his  face  all  radiant  with  joy, 
and  his  eyes  raised,  as  if  in  ecstasy,  above  his  crucifix,  with  the 
words  "  Jesus  "  and  "  Mary  "  upon  his  lips,  he  passed  from  the 
scene  of  his  labors  to  his  rest  in  heaven.  After  the  first  out- 
bursts of  grief  were  over,  his  companions  arranged  his  body  for 
burial,  and,  to  the  sound  of  his  little  chapel  bell,  bore  it  slowly 
to  the  spot  which  he  himself  had  designated,  where  they  com- 
mitted it  to  the  earth,  raising  a  large  cross  to  mark  his  last 
resting-place.  This  occurred  on  the  i8th  day  of  May,  1675,  '" 
the  thirty-eighth  year  of  his  age. 

Two  years  later,  and  almost  on  the  anniversary  of  this  event, 
a  party  of  Indians  whom  Marquette  had  himself  instructed  at 
Lapointe,  visited  his  grave,  on  their  return  from  their  Winter 
hunting-grounds,  and  resolved  to  disinter  their  good  father,  and 
bear  his  revered  bones  to  the  Mission  of  St.  Ignatius,  at  Mack 
inac,  where   they  resided.     They  therefore  opened   the  grave, 


! 


t8 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


and,  according  to  custom,  dissected  the  body,  washing  the  bones 
and  drying  them  in  the  sun.  When  this  was  done,  a  neat  box 
of  birch  bark  was  prepared,  into  which  the  bones  were  placed, 
and  the  flotilla,  now  become  a  funeral  convoy,  proceeded  on  its 
way.  Only  the  dip  of  the  paddles  and  the  sighs  of  the  Indians 
broke  the  silence,  as  the  funeral  cortege  advanced.  When  nearing 
the  Mackinac,  the  missionaries,  accompanied  by  many  of  the  In- 
dians of  the  place,  went  to  meet  them,  and  there,  upon  the 
waters,  rose  "  De  Profundis,"  which  continued  till  the  coffined 
remains  of  the  good  father  reached  the  land.  With  the  usual 
ceremonies,  his  bones  were  then  borne  to  the  church,  where, 
beneath  a  pall  stretched  as  if  over  a  coffin,  they  remained  during 
the  day,  when  they  were  deposited  in  a  little  vault  in  the  middle 
of  the  church,  "  where,"  says  the  chronicler,  "  he  still  reposes 
as  the  guardian  angel  of  our  Ottawa  Mission."  Thus  did  Mar- 
quette accomplish,  in  death,  the  voyage  which  life  had  not  en- 
abled him  to  terminate. 

In  the  life  of  this  humble  and  unpretending  missionary  and 
explorer,  there  is  much  to  admire.  Though  an  heir  to  wealth 
and  position  in  his  native  land,  he  voluntarily  separated  him- 
self from  his  friends,  and  chose  a  life  of  sacrifice,  toil,  and 
death,  that  he  might  ameliorate  the  moral  and  spiritual  con- 
dition of  nations  sunk  in  paganism  and  vice.  His  disposition 
was  cheerful  under  all  circumstances.  His  rare  qualities  of 
mind  and  heart  secured  for  him  the  esteem  of  all  who  knew 
him.  He  was  a  man  of  sound  sense  and  close  observation, 
not  disposed  to  exaggerate,  not  egotistical.  His  motives  were 
pure,  and  his  efforts  earnest.  His  intellectual  abilities  must 
have  been  of  no  ordinary  type ;  his  letters  show  him  to  have 
been  a  man  of  education,  and,  though  but  nine  years  a  mission- 
ary among  the  Indians,  he  spoke  six  languages  with  ease,  and 
understood  less  perfectly  many  others. 

With  Marquette,  religion  was  the  controlling  idea.  The 
salvation  of  a  soul  was  more  than  the  conquest  of  an  empire. 
He  was  careful  to  avoid  all  appearance  of  a  worldly  or  national 
mission  among  the  savages.    On  many  a  hill-side  and  in  many 


!  1^ 


'V\]' 


TESUIT  HISTORY. 


>9 


a  shady  vale  did  he  set  up  the  cross,  but  nowhere  did  he  carve 
the  "  Lilies  of  the  Bourbons."  His  devotion  to  the  "  Blessed 
Virgin"  was  tender  and  all-absorbing.  From  early  youth  to  his 
latest  breath  she  was  the  constant  object  of  his  adoration  ;  no 
letter  ever  came  from  his  hand  which  did  not  contain  the  words 
"  Blessed  Virgin  Immaculate,"  and  it  was  with  her  name  upon 
his  lips  that  he  closed  his  eyes  in  death,  as  gently  as  though 
sinking  into  a  quiet  .slumber. 

Marquette  was  a  Cr.tholic,  yet  he  is  not  the  exclusive  prop- 
erty of  that  people  :  he  belongs  alike  to  all.  His  name  is 
written  in  the  hearts  of  the  good  of  every  class.  As  an  explorer, 
he  will  live  in  the  annals  of  the  American  people  forever. 

"  He  died  young,  but  there  are  silvered  lieads 
Whose  race  of  duty  is  less  nobly  run." 

The  history  of  the  Mission  of  St.  Ignace,  after  its  founder 
embarked  on  that  voyage  which  immortalized  his  name,  may 
be  told  in  few  words.  Marquette  was  succeeded  by  Father 
Pierson,  who,  in  1674,  found  it  necessary  to  erect  a  new  and 
more  commodious  church,  as  a  large  band  of  Ottawas  had  settled 
near.  In  the  Spring  of  1677,  prior  to  the  transfer  of  Marquette's 
remains  to  the  mission.  Father  Nouvel  arrived,  and  took  charge 
of  the  Ottawa  portion  of  the  mission,  leaving  the  Hurons  to 
Father  Pierson.  In  the  following  year,  the  mission  was  again 
consolidated,  and  Father  Enjalran  appointed  missionary.  This 
father  continued  at  the  mission  for  several  years,  but  after  him 
we  know  little  of  its  history.  In  1706,  the  missionaries,  becoming 
disheartened,  burned  down  their  college  and  chapel,  and  returned 
to  Quebec 


>\ 


X-: 


.  •  •'li; 


ao 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


CHAPTER  II. 


FRENCH    HISTORY. 


,(     ...I 


i 

III  I 


PRIOR  to  1679,  little  had  been  done  toward  exploring  and 
colonizing  the  great  North-west,  save  by  the  humble  dis- 
ciples of  Ignatius  Loyola  ;  but  at  that  date  commercial  enterprise 
entered  the  field,  and  the  missionary  spirit  took  a  subordinate 
place  in  the  onward  march  of  civilization. 

When  Joliet  returned  from  his  voyage  down  the  Mississippi, 
the  young,  energetic  and  adventurous  Roljert  Cavalier  de  la 
Salle,  then  Lord  of  Fort  Frontenac,  had  already  planned  an  ex- 
pedition across  the  Great  Lakes  to  tlie  shores  of  the  Pacific, 
hoping  thereby  to  find  a  short  passage  to  China. 

The  news  of  the  brilliant  discoveries  made  by  Marquette 
and  Joliet  k.ndled  the  sanguinary  mind  of  this  young  enthusiast, 
and  induced  him  to  redouble  his  exertions  to  carry  out  his  design. 
With  plans  for  the  colonization  of  the  South-west,  and  commerce 
between  Europe  and  the  Mississippi,  La  Salle  now  visited  M.  de 
Frontenac,  Governor-General  of  Canada,  and  laid  before  him  the 
dim  but  gigantic  outlines  of  his  project.  He  aimed  at  the  ex- 
tension of  French  power  by  the  construction  of  a  chain  of  forti- 
fications at  the  most  prominent  points  along  the  lakes  and  rivers 
of  the  West.  Frontenac  entered  warmly  into  La  Salle's  plans, 
and  advised  him  to  apply  directly  to  the  King  of  France.  This 
he  accordingly  did  ;  and,  meeting  with  favor  at  the  French  Court, 
he  obtained  a  commission  for  perfecting  the  discovery  of  the 
"  Great  River,"  dated  May  12,  1678,  and  signed  by  Colbert, 
and  also  the  monopoly  of  the  traffic  in  buffalo-skins.  He  was, 
however,  forbidden  to  carry  on  trade  with  the  Oltawas  and  other 
tribes  of  the  lakes,  who  were  accustomed  to  carry  iheir  furs  to 


FRENCH   HISTORY. 


^?*,' 


Montreal.  On  his  return  to  Quebec,  he  found  Father  Louis 
Hennepin,  a  friar  of  tlie  Franciscan  order,  "  daring,  vain,  and 
determined,"  says  Lahnman,  "  ambitious  to  reap  the  glory  of 
discovery,  and  not  too  scrupulous  as  to  the  means,'"  who  had 
been  appointed  by  his  superiors  as  acting  missionary  to  accom- 
pany the  expedition. 

Though  beset  by  difficulties  on  every  hand,  which  would  have 
appeared  formidable  to  any  man  of  moderate  soul,  La  Salle  now 
pushed  forward  with  the  utmost  dispatch.  Late  in  November, 
he  left  Fort  Frontenac,  navigated  Ontario  in  a  little  vessel  of  ten 
tons,  and,  having  pushed  as  near  to  the  Falls  as  could  be  done 
with  safety,  disembarked.  Here  the  provisions,  anchors,  chains, 
merchandise,  etc.,  must  be  carried  beyond  the  cataract  to  the 
calm  water  above,  a  distance  of  at  least  twelve  miles.  Impeded 
by  deep  snows,  gloomy  forests,  and  rugged  heights,  this  task  was 
not  finished  until  the  22d  day  of  January. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  Winter  and  the  early  part  of  the 
succeeding  Summer,  a  vessel  pf  sixty  tons  burden,  called  the 
Griffin^  was  constructed,  and  other  preparations  perfected,  for  the 
prosecution  of  the  enterprise.  On  the  7th  day  of  August,  1679, 
amid  the  firing  of  cannon  and  the  chanting  of  the  Te  Deum, 
the  sails  were  unfurled,  a'^d  the  little  vessel  ventured  out  upon 
Lake  Erie.  In  all,  there  were  thirty-four  men  on  board,  mostly 
fur-traders  for  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  Among  them  was 
Hennepin,  the  journalist  of  the  expedition,  and  two  other  monks, 
who  had  joined  them  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cayuga,  where  the 
Griffin  was  built. 

For  three  days  she  boldly  held  her  course  over  these  un- 
known waters,  where  sail  had  never  been  seen  before,  and  then 
turned  to  the  northward,  "  between  the  verdant  isles  of  the 
majestic  Detroit."  Here,  on  either  hand,  was  spread  out  the 
finest  scenery  that  had  ever  delighted  the  Frenchman's  eye. 
Verdant  prairies,  dotted  with  groves  and  bordered  with  lofty 
forests  of  walnut,  chestnut,  wild-plum,  and  oak,  festooned  with 
grape-vines,  stretched  away  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Hen- 
nepin wondered  that  nature,  without  the  help  of  art,  could  have 


V 


22 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


iif 


^  i!!i 


1 


made  so  charming  a  prospect.  Herds  of  deer  and  flocks  of 
swan  and  wild  turkeys  were  plentiful.  The  bears  and  other 
beasts  anci  birds,  whose  names  were  unknown,  were,  in  the 
language  of  the  missionary,  "extraordinary  relishing." 

This  was  twenty  years  before  the  settlement  of  Detroit. 
Passing  on  up  the  river,  'hey  entered  the  lake,  which  they  namcri 
St.  Clair,  from  the  day  on  which  they  traversed  its  sin! low 
waters;  and,  at  length.  Lake  Huron  lay  before  them,  !'ke  u  •  a  i; 
sea  sparkling  in  the  sun.  Here  again  they  chailed  ■'  it  Deum, 
as  a  thank-offering  to  the  Almighty  for  the  prospcruj/  ihat  had 
attended  them. 

The  gentle  breezes  which  now  swelled  the  canvas  of  the 
Griffin  seemed  to  whisper  of  a  quick  and  prosperous  voyage  to 
the  head-waters  of  the  Huron  ;  but  soon  the  wind  died  away  to 
a  calm,  then  freshened  to  a  gale,  then  rose  to  a  furious  tempest. 
The  elements  were  at  war.  The  raging  lake  threatened,  in  her 
wrath,  to  swallow  the  little  vessel  and  all  her  crew.  Even  the 
stout  heart  of  La  Salle  was  made  to  quake  with  fear,  and  he 
called  upon  all  to  commend  themselves  to  Heaven.  Save  the 
godless  pilot,  who  was  loud  in  his  anathemas  against  his  com- 
mander "  for  having  brought  him,  after  the  honor  he  had  won  on 
the  ocean,  to  drown,  at  last,  ignominiously,  in  fresh  water,"  all 
clamored  to  the  saints.  With  the  same  breath  La  Salle  and  the 
missionary  declared  St.  Anthony  the  patron  of  the  expedition, 
and  a  score  of  others  promised  that  a  chapel  should  be  built  in 
his  honor  if  he  would  but  save  them  from  their  jeopardy.  But 
the  obedient  winds  were  tame'^  by  ?.  greater  than  St.  Anthony, 
and  the  u  iffin  "plunged  on  he;  v'  itirough  foT^ing  s'Tgi,s 
that  still  grew  calmer  as  she  r  ^v  n.  c..'  tVoody  Bois  filancsoon 
lifts  the  top  of  her  pristine  forests  to  the  view  of  the  anxious 
mariners.  In  the  dim  distance  are  the  Manitoulines.  Farther 
on,  "sitting  like  an  emerald  gem  in  the  clear,  pellucid  wave,  is 
the  rock-girt,  fairy  isle"  of  Mackinac.  St.  Ignace,  the  scene  of 
Marquette's  missionary  labors,  and  the  site  of  that  chapel  beneath 
v/b'ch  repose  his  peaceful  ashes,  is  before  them,  and  Pequodenong, 
wliere  as  yet  the  smoke  of  the  calumet  of  peace  has  always 


FRENCH   HISTORY. 


23 


ascended,  and  the  shrill  war-whoop  has  never  been  heard,  rises 
gradually  and  majestically  frnm  the  crystal  witers  which  cover, 
but  can  not  conceal,  the  pebbly  dipth  beneath,  ft  was  a  grand 
and  imposing  scene  that  lay  spread  out  before  them. 

The  following  is  from  Hennepin  :  "  'I'he  27th,  in  the  morning, 
we  continued  our  course  north-wt'st,  with  a  south-east  wind, 
which  carried  us  the  same  day  to  Michilimackinac,  wherf  we 
anchored  in  a  bay  at  six  fathom  water,  upon  a  shiny  white  boli.  'in. 
That  bay  is  sheltered  by  the  coast  and  a  bank  lying  from  o 
south  west  to  the  north  ;  but  it  lies  exposed  to  the  soith  win*  , 
which  are  very  violent  in  that  country. 

*'  Michilimackinac  is  a  neck  of  land  to  the   north  of   the 
mouth  of  the  strait  through  whici   the  I^ake  of  the  Illinois  dis 
charges  itself  into  the  Lake  Huron.      That  canal  is  about  three 
leagues  long  and  one  broad.     .     .     . 

"We  lay  between  two  dlHerent  nations  of  savages.  Those 
who  inhabit  the  Point  of  Michilimackinac  are  called  Hurons ; 
and  the  others,  who  are  about  three  or  four  leagues  more  north- 
ward, are  Ottawas.  Those  savages  were  equally  surprised  to 
see  a  ship  in  their  country  ;  and  the  noise  of  our  cannon,  of 
which  we  made  a  general  discharge,  filled  them  with  great 
astonishment.  We  went  to  see  the  ( >ttawas,  and  celebrated 
mass  in  their  habitation.  M.  La  Salle  was  finely  dressed,  hav- 
ing a  scarlet  cloak  with  a  broad  gold  lace,  and  most  of  his 
men,  with  their  arms,  attended  him.  The  chief  captains  of  that 
people  received  us  with  great  civilities,  xfter  their  own  way; 
and  some  of  them  came  on  board  with  js,  to  see  our  ship, 
which  rode  all  that  while  in  the  bay  or  crt  ek  I  have  spoken  of. 
It  was  a  diverting  prospect  to  see,  every  lay,  above  six  score 
canoes  about  it,  and  savages  staring,  and  admiring  that  fine 
wooden  canoe,  as  they  called  it.  They  brought  us  abundance 
of  whitings,  and  some  trouts  of  fifty  or  sixty  pound  weight. 

"  We  went  the  next  day  to  pay  a  visit  U  the  Hurons,  who 
inhabit  a  rising  ground  on  a  neck  of  land  ov--r  against  Michili- 
mackinac. Their  villages  are  fortified  with  palisades  of  twenty- 
five   feet  high,  and   always   situated   upon  eminences  or  hills. 


\ 


24 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


r  I 


Pi 


They  received  us  with  more  respect  than  the  Ottawas ;  for  they 
made  a  triple  discharge  of  all  the  small  guns  they  had,  having 
learned  from  some  Europeans  that  it  is  the  greatest  civility 
among  us.  However,  they  look  such  a  jealousy  to  our  ship 
that,  as  we  understood  since,  they  endeavored  to  make  our  expe- 
dition odious  to  ail  the  nations  about  them. 

"The  Hurons  and  Ottawas  are  in  confederacy  together 
against  the  Iroquois,  their  common  enemy.  They  sow  Indian 
corn,  which  is  theii  ordinary  food  ;  for  they  have  nothing  else  to 
live  upon,  except  some  tish  they  take  in  the  lakes.  They  boil 
it  with  their  sagamittee,  which  is  a  kind  of  broth  made  with 
water  and  the  Hour  of  the  corn,  which  they  beat  in  a  mortar 
made  of  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  which  ihey  make  hollow  with  fire." 

La  Salle  remained  at  Mackinac  until  the  second  day  of 
September,  when  he  set  sail  for  Green  Bay.  At  this  point, 
contrary  to  orders,  he  collected  a  cargo  of  furs,  with  which  he 
dispatched  the  Griffin  to  Niagara,  while  he  himself,  with  a  part 
of  his  men,  repaired  in  bark  canoes  to  the  head  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan. Here  he  anxiously  awaited  tiie  return  of  his  little  vessel ; 
but,  alas !  he  waited  in  vain.  No  tidings  ever  reached  him  of 
the- ill-fated  bark;  and  to  this  day  none  can  tell  whether  she  was 
swallowed  in  the  depths  of  the  lake,  destroyed  by  Indians,  or 
made  the  prize  of  traitors. 

The  loss  of  the  Griffin  was  a  very  severe  stroke  upon  La 
Salle ;  yet  he  was  not  discouraged.  With  inflexible  energy,  he 
pursued  his  course.  From  l^ake  Michigan  he  proceeded  into 
the  country  of  the  Illinois,  where  he  wintered.  Early  in  the 
following  Spring  he  dispatched  Hennepin  to  discover  the  sources 
of  the  Mississippi,  while  he  himself  returned  to  Canada  for  new 
supplies,  made  necessary  by  the  loss  of  the  Griffin.  In  1681,  he 
returned  ;  and  in  1682,  having  constructed  a  vessel  of  a  size  suit- 
able for  the  purpose,  he  descended  the  Mississippi  to  the  Gulf. 

Having  completed  the  exploration  of  the  Gre.it  River,  his 
next  step  was  to  plant  colonies  along  its  banks ;  for  which  pur- 
pose he  labored,  but  with  only  partial  success,  until  1687,  when 
he  was  assassinated  by  one  of  his  own  men. 


FRENCH    HISTORY. 


as 


Some  modern  writers  have  stated  that  the  first  fort  at 
Mackinac,  which  at  that  time  meant  little  more  tnan  a  trading- 
house  surrounded  by  a  stockade,  was  built  by  La  Salle  in  1679 ; 
but  the  fact  that  Hennepin  makes  no  mention  of  this,  j^nd  that 
La  Salle  was  prohibited  from  trading  with  the  Indians  of  tiiis 
region,  would  seem  to  be  sufficient  proof  to  the  contrary.  Be- 
sides, if  we  may  take  the  testimony  of  Holmes's  "  American 
Annals,"  this  fort  or  trading-post  was  first  established  in  1673. 

Of  the  early  history  of  this  post,  subsequent  to  the  date  of 
La  Salle's  visit,  we  have  only  such  information  as  may  be 
gathered  from  the  notices  of  travelers  and  others  whose  writings 
have  come  down  to  us. 

In  1688,  the  Baron  La  Hontan,  an  officer  of  rare  accom- 
plishments, visited  this  post,  and  from  him  we  have  the  following : 

"At  last,  finding  that  my  provisions  were  almost  out,  I 
resolved  to  go  to  Michilimackinac,  to  buy  up  corn  from  the 
Hurons  and  Ottawas.  .  .  .  I  arrived  at  this  place  on  the  18th 
of  April,  and  my  uneasiness  and  trouble  took  date  from  the  day 
of  my  arrival ;  for  I  found  the  Indian  corn  so  scarce,  by  reason 
of  the  preceding  bad  harvests,  that  I  despaired  of  finding  half 
so  much  as  I  wanted.  But,  after  all,  I  am  hopeful  that  two 
villages  will  furnish  me  with  almost  as  much  as  I  have  occasion 
for.  Mr.  Cavalier  arrived  here,  May  6th,  being  accompanied 
with  his  nephew,  Father  Anastasc  the  Recollect,  a  pilot,  one 
of  the  savages,  and  some  few  Frenchmen,  which  made  a  sort  of 
a  party-colored  retinue.  These  Frenchmen  were  som"  of  those 
that  Mr.  de  la  Salle  had  conducted  upon  the  discovery  of  the 
Mississippi.  They  gave  out  that  they  are  sent  to  Canada,  in 
order  to  gj  to  France,  with  .some  dispatches  from  Mr.  de  la 
Salle  to  the  King ;  but  we  suspect  that  he  is  dead,  because 
he  does  not  return  along  with  them.  I  shall  not  spend  time 
in  taking  notice  of  their  great  journey  overland ;  which,  by  the 
account  they  gave,  can  not  be  less  than  eight  hundred  leagues. 

"  Michilimackinac,  the  place  I  am  now  in,  is  certainly  a 
piace  of  great  importance.  It  lies  in  the  latitude  of  forty-five 
degrees  and  thirty  minutes.     It  is  not  above  half  a  league  dis- 


i  ! 


f    I 


! 


I 


V 


36 


OLD    AND    NEW    MACKINAC. 


tant  from  the  Illlnese  Lake,*  an  account  of  which,  and,  indeed, 
of  all  the  other  lakes,  you  may  expect  elsewhere.  Here  the 
Hurons  and  Ottawas  have,  each  of  them,  a  village  ;  the  one 
being  severed  from  the  other  by  a  single  palisade ;  but  the  Ot- 
tawas are  beginning  to  build  a  fort  upon  a  hill  that  stands 
ten  or  twelve  hundred  paces  off.  This  precaution  they  were 
prompted  to  by  the  murder  of  a  certain  Huron,  called  San- 
daouires,  who  was  assassinated  in  the  Saginaw  River  by  four 
young  Ottawas.  In  this  place  the  Jesuits  have  a  little  house  or 
college,  adjoining  to  a  sort  of  a  church,  and  inclosed  with  poles 
that  separate  it  from  the  village  of  the  Huron?,  ''hese  good 
fathers  lavish  away  all  their  divinity  and  paticiic;,  to  no  pur- 
pose, in  converting  such  ignorant  infidels  •  for  all  the  length 
they  can  bring  them  to,  is,  that  oftentimes  tliey  will  desire  bap- 
tism for  their  dying  children,  and  some  few  superannuated 
persons  consent  to  receive  the  sacrament  of  baptism  when  they 
find  themselves  at  the  point  of  death.  The  Coureurs  de  Bois 
have  but  a  very  small  settlement  here ;  though  at  the  same  time 
it  is  not  inconsiderable,  as  being  the  staple  of  all  the  goods  that 
they  truck  with  the  south  and  the  west  savages ;  for  they  can  not 
avoid  passing  this  way,  when  they  go  to  the  seats  of  the  Illinese 
and  the  Oumamis,  or  to  the  Bay  dcs  Puans,  and  to  the  river  of 
Mississippi.  The  skins,  which  they  impoit  from  these  different 
places,  must  lie  here  some  time  before  they  are  transported  to 
the  colony.  Michilimackinac  is  situated  very  advantageously; 
for  the  Iroquese  d.ire  not  venture,  with  their  sorry  canoes,  to 
cross  the  strait  of  the  Illinese  Lake,  which  is  two  leagues  over  j 
besides  that  the  Lake  of  the  Hurons  is  too  rough  for  such 
slender  boats ;  and  as  they  can  not  come  to  it  by  water,  so  they 
can  not  approach  to  it  by  land,  by  reason  of  the  marshes, 
fens,  and  little  rivers,  which  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  cross ; 
not  to  mention  that  the  strait  of  the  Illinese  Lake  lies  still  in 
their  way." 

We  are  also  indebted  to  La  Hon  tan  for  a  map  showing  the 


■  ■t-  ■ 


FRENCH   HISTORY. 


H 


location  of  the  Jesuit  establisiiment,  and  also  of  the  French  and 
Indian  villages  as  they  existed  in  1688. 

In  1695,  M-  <^^  ''^  Motte  Cadillac,  aftenvard  the  founder  of 
Detroit,  commanded  at  this  post.  He  thus  describes  the  place 
at  the  time  : 

"  It  is  very  important  that  you  should  know,  in  case  you  are 
not  already  informed,  that  this  village  is  one  of  the  largest  in  all 
Canada.  There  is  a  fine  fort  of  pickets,  and  sixty  houses  that 
form  a  street  in  a  straight  line.  There  is  a  garrison  of  well- 
disciplined,  chosen  soldiers,  consisting  of  about  two  hundred  men, 
the  best  formed  and  most  athletic  to  be  found  in  this  New  World  ; 
besides  many  other  persons  who  are  residents  here  during  two 
or  three  months  in  the  year.  .  .  .  The  houses  are  arranged 
along  the  shore  of  this  great  Lake  Huron,  and  fish  and  smoked 
meat  constitute  the  principal  food  of  the  inhal)itants. 

"The  villages  of  tiie  savages,  in  which  there  are  six  or  seven 
thousand  souls,  are  about  a  pistol-shot  distant  from  ours.  All 
the  lands  are  cleared  for  about  three  leiigucs  around  their  villnge, 
and  perfectly  well  cultivated.  They  produce  a  sufficient  quan- 
tity of  Indian  corn  for  the  use  of  both  the  French  and  savage 
inhabitants." 

In  1699,  Cadillac,  perceiving  the  importance  of  a  fort  on  the 
Detroit,  repaired  to  France  to  present  the  subject  to  the  consid- 
eration of  Count  Ponlcliartrain,  the  Colonial  Minister.  He  was 
favorably  received,  and  authorized  to  establish  the  proposed  fort 
at  the  earliest  date  possible.     This  he  accomplished  in  1701. 

With  the  exception  of  here  and  there  a  Jesuit  missionary  and 
a  few  half-savage  coutcurs  de  Iwis,  the  region  around  Mackinac 
was  now  forsaken  by  the  French. 

A  dispute  soon  arose  between  Cadillac  and  the  Jesuits,  the 
former  insisting  upon  a  concentration  of  French  interests  in  the 
West,  at  Detroit,  the  latter  urging  the  French  Government  to  re- 
establish M.ickinac.  The  Jesuits  did  all  in  their  power  to  prevent 
the  Indians  removing  to  Detroit,  while  Cadillac  held  out  every 
inducement  to  prevail  upon  ihem  to  desert  their  villages  and 
settle  in  the  vicinity  of  the  new  fort,  and  so  far  succeeded  that,  in 


\ 


98 


OLD    AND   NEW    MACKINAC. 


il 


II        ^1". 


1706,  as  we  have  seen,  the  Jesuits  became  discouraged,  burned 
down  their  college  and  chapel,  and  returned  to  Quebec.  But, 
alarmed  at  this  step,  the  Governor  soon  prevailed  upon  Father 
James  Marest  to  return  ;  and  shortly  after  the  Ottawas,  who 
were  becoming  dissatisfied  at  Detioit,  began  to  move  back  to 
Mackinac. 

Father  Marest  now  did  all  in  his  power  to  prevail  upon  the 
French  Government  to  send  M.  Louvigny,  a  former  comniander, 
with  a  few  soldiers,  to  re-establish  the  fort,  but  did  not  succeed 
until  1 7 14,  when  the  long- wished  for  garrison  and  commander 
arrived,  giving  new  life  to  the  settlement. 

In  1 72 1,  Father  Charlevoix,  the  historian  of  New  France, 
visited  Mackinac,  and  thus  speaks  of  it: 

"I  arrived  the  twenty-eighth  (June)  at  this  post,  which  is 
much  declined  since  M.  de  la  Motte  Cadillac  drew  to  Detroit 
the  greatest  part  of  the  savages  who  were  settled  here,  and  es- 
pecially the  Hurons.  Several  Ottawas  have  followed  them ; 
others  have  dispersed  themselves  in  the  isles  of  Castor.  There  is 
only  here  a  middling  village,  where  there  is  still  a  great  trade  for 
peltry,  because  it  is  the  passage  or  the  rendezvous  of  many  of  the 
savag'i  nations.  The  fort  is  preserved  and  the  house  of  the 
missionaries,  who  are  not  much  employed  at  present,  having 
never  found  much  docility  among  the  Ottawas ;  but  the  court 
thinks  their  presence  necessary,  in  a  place  where  one  must 
often  treat  with  our  allies,  to  exercise  their  ministry  among  the 
French,  who  come  hither  in  great  numbers.  I  have  been  assured 
that  since  the  settlement  of  Detroit  and  the  dispersion  of  the 
savages  occasioned  thereby,  many  nations  of  the  North,  who 
used  to  bring  their  peltries  hither,  have  taken  the  route  of 
Hudson's  Bay,  by  the  river  Bourbon,  and  go  there  to  trade 
with  the  English  ;  but  M.  de  la  Motte  could  by  no  means  fore- 
see this  inconvenience,  since  we  were  then  in  possession  of  Hud- 
son's Bay. 

"The  situation  of  Michilimackinac  is  very  advantageous  for 
trade.  This  post  is  between  three  great  lakes  :  Lake  Michigan, 
which  is  three  hundred  leagues  in  compass,  without  mentioning 


FRENCH   HISTORY. 


29 


the  great  bay  that  comes  into  it ;  Lake  Huron,  which  is  three 
hundred  and  fifty  leagues  in  circumference,  and  which  is  trian- 
gular ;  and  the  Upper  Lake,  which  is  five  hundred  leagues." 

From  the  date  of  Charlevoix's  visit,  down  to  1760,  when  it 
passed  forever  out  of  the  hands  of  the  French,  the  records  of 
the  establishment  at  Mackinac  arc  very  meagre,  and  compar- 
atively devoid  of  interest.  At  the  last-mentioned  date  we  find 
the  fort  on  the  south  side  of  the  straits,  but  the  time  of  the  re- 
moval to  that  point  has  not  been  given  by  an\'  author  at  the 
writer's  command.  Hennepin,  La  Hontan,  and  Cadillac,  whom 
we  have  already  quoted,  describe  it  as  on  the  north  side,  while 
Charlevoix  says  nothing  bearing  upon  the  question.  Sheldon, 
in  his  "  History  of  Early  Michigan,"  suggests  that  the  removal 
probably  took  place  in  17 14,  when  the  post  was  re-established. 

A  brief  notice  01'  the  war  which  ended  with  a  transfer  of 
Quebec  with  all  its  dependencies,  not  the  least  among  which 
was  Mackinac,  will  close  the  chapter. 

Fr.'iice  and  England  being  rivals  in  the  Old  World,  could  not 
be  partners  of  the  New.  Had  these  two  powers  been  satii>fied 
to  divide  the  American  Continent  amicably  between  them,  the 
history  of  Columbia  would  have  been  far  different  from  what  it 
is  now.  But  when  they  crossed  the  Atlantic,  they  brought  with 
them  their  hereditary  enmity,  and  this  enmity  was  strengthened 
by  new  issues  whicii  were  constantly  arising.  Each  desired  un- 
divided dominion  over  the  North  and  West,  and  at  times  the 
struggle  for  supremacy  was  desperate. 

The  Indians  around  the  lakes  were,  almost  without  exception, 
friendly  to  the  French,  while  the  "  Five  Nations,"  dwelling  south 
and  east  from  Lake  Ontario,  sided  with  the  English. 

As  early  as  1686,  English  adventurers,  in  quest  of  the  rich 
furs  of  the  North-west,  pushed  up  the  lakes  of  Mackinac  ;  but  the 
French,  unwilling  that  any  portion  of  the  Indian  trade  should 
pass  into  the  hands  of  their  enemies,  made  their  visits  to  this 
region  too  hazardous  to  be  oft  repeated. 

The  heart  sickens  in  contemplating  this  portion  of  our  country's 
history-.     Many  a  spot  was  stained  with  the  blood  of  its  unfor- 


V 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


<l     Ml    * 


tunate  inhabitants.  The  forests  were  often  lighted  up  with  the 
conflagration  of  burning  villages,  and  the  stillness  of  the  midnight 
hour  was  frequently  broken  by  the  shrill  war-whoop,  mingled  with 
the  shrieks  of  helpless  women  under  the  tomahawk  or  scalping- 
knife.  And  these  tragic  scenes  were  too  often  prompted  by 
French  or  English  thirst  for  power. 

But  finally,  after  many  years,  during  which,  with  only  short 
intervals  of  peace,  these  scenes  of  blood  had  frequent  repetitions, 
the  British  Government  determined  to  make  a  powerful  effort  to 
dispossess  the  French  colonies  of  this  territory.  Military  oper- 
ations, however,  were  at  first  unfavorable  to  the  English  cause. 
Many  a  red  column  of  well-trained  and  well-armed  regulars 
wavered  before  the  rifles  of  the  combined  French  and  Indians, 
who  fought  concealed  in  thickets,  or  from  behind  a  breastwork 
of  falleir  trees.  But  in  1759,  victory  turned  on  the  side  of  the 
English,  and  the  question  was  brought  to  a  speedy  and  decisive 
issue.  An  English  army,  under  the  command  of  Brigadier- 
General  Wolf,  succeeded,  during  the  night  of  September  12th,  in 
gaining  the  Heights  of  Abraham,  at  Quebec,  where,  upon  the  fol- 
lowing day,  was  gained  one  of  the  most  momentous  victories  in  the 
annals  of  history — a  victory  which  gave  to  the  English  tongue  and 
the  institutions  of  a  Protestant  Christianity  the  unexplored  and 
seemingly  infinite  North  and  West. 

Though  this  victory  was  gained  in  September  of  1759,  it 
was  not  until  September  of  1760  that  a  final  surrender  of  Can- 
ada, with  all  the  French  posts  around  the  lakes,  was  made  to 
the  English,  and  not  till  September  of  1761  that  possession  was 
taken  of  Mackinac  by  English  troops,  as  mentioned  by  Henry 
in  the  following  chapter. 


CONSPIRACY   OF   PONTIAC. 


0 


CHAPTER  III. 


CONSPIRACY   OF   PONTIAC. 


WITH  the  change  of  jurisdiction  narrated  in  the  previous 
chapter,  a  new  scene  opens  before  us — a  scene  in  which 
the  red  men  are  the  principal  actors.  The  victory  on  the  Heights 
of  Abraham,  at  Quebec,  gave  to  England  the  possession  of  a 
wide  extent  of  territory ;  but  that  territory  was  one  massive 
forest,  interrupted  only  by  prairies  or  lakes,  or  an  occasional 
Indian  cleared  field,  of  small  dimensions,  for  maize.  The 
emblems  of  power  in  these  illimitable  wastes  were  the  occasional 
log  forts,  with  picketed  inclosures,  whicli,  from  time  to  time, 
had  been  constructed  by  the  French,  but  more  as  trading-posts 
than  as  military  strongholds. 

What  the  English  had  gained  by  force  of  arms,  they  took 
possession  of  as  conquerors  ;  and,  in  their  eagerness  to  supplant 
the  French,  they  were  blind  to  danger.  Some  of  their  ports 
were  garrisoned  by  less  than  a  score  of  men,  and  often  left 
dependent  upon  the  Indians  for  supplies,  though  they  were  so 
widely  remote  from  each  other  that,  "lost  in  the  boundless 
woods,  they  could  no  more  be  discovered  than  a  little  fleet  of 
canoes  scattered  over  the  whole  Atlantic,  too  minute  to  be  per- 
ceptible, and  safe  only  in  fair  weather."  But,  weak  as  were 
the  English,  their  presence  alarmed  the  red  man,  for  it  implied 
a  design  to  occupy  the  country  which,  for  ages,  had  been  his 
own ;  and  the  transfer  of  the  territory  around  the  Great  Lakes 
from  the  French,  who  were  the  friends  of  the  Indians,  to  the 
English,  upon  whom  th»7  had  been  taught  to  look  with  dis- 
trust, could  not,  therefore,  be  regarded  with  favor  by  these  tawny 
sons  of  the  woods.    The  untutored  mind  of  the  sava 


"»S' 


"""  could 


•  .  I 


!    ill  I 


Hi 


V 


3a 


OLD   AND   NKW   MACKINAC. 


not  comprehend  by  what  right  the  British  flag  was  unfurled  in 
the  West.  They  could  not  understand  how  the  English  could 
derive  any  claim  to  the  red  men's  forest  from  victories  over  the 
French.  Hence,  from  the  very  first,  the  English  were  regarded 
with  suspicion  by  the  Indian. 

It  would  have  been  well  had  the  conduct  of  the  English 
been  such  as  to  allay  these  suspicions  ;  but,  unfortunately,  it  was 
not.  The  Indians  and  French  had  lived  on  terms  of  the  great- 
est intimacy.  They  were  often  like  brothers  in  the  same  lodge. 
"  They  called  us  children,  and  we  found  them  fathers,"  said  a 
Chippewa  chief;  and  these  feelings  pervaded  the  bosoms  of  all 
the  lake  tribes.  But  the  English  were  cold  and  repulsive  toward 
the  Indians.  The  French  had  made  them  liberal  presents  of 
guns,  ammunition,  and  clothing;  but  the  English  either  withheld 
these  presents  altogether,  or  dealt  them  out  so  sparingly  that 
many  of  them,  deprived  of  their  usual  supplies,  were  reduced  to 
want,  and  thus  a  spirit  of  discontent  was  fostered  among  them. 
But  there  were  other  grievances.  The  English  fur-traders  were, 
as  a  class,  ruffians  of  the  coarsest  stamp,  who  vied  with  each 
other  in  violence  and  rapacity,  and  who  cheated  and  plundered  the 
Indians,  and  outraged  their  families.  The  soldiers  and  officers 
of  the  garrisons  had  no  word  of  welcome  for  them  when  they 
caiQe  to  the  forts,  but  only  cold  looks  and  harsh  words,  with 
oaths,  menaces,  and  not  un frequently  blows  from  the  more  reck- 
less and  brutal  of  theii  number.  Another  fruitful  source  of 
anxiety  and  discontent  on  the  part  of  the  Indians,  was  the  in- 
trusion of  settlers  upon  their  lands.  Their  homes  were  in  danger. 
In  spite  of  every  remonstrance,  their  best  lands  had  already 
been  invaded ;  their  hunting-grounds  would  soon  be  taken  from 
them,  and  the  graves  of  their  ancestors  be  desecrated  by  un- 
hallowed feet.  Some  of  the  tribes  were  wrought  up  to  the  higft- 
est  pitch  of  excitement  and  revenge  by  this  constant  invasion 
of  their  rights. 

Meanwhile,  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  French  were 
mere  idle  spectators  of  passing  events.  Canada  was  gone  be- 
yond the  hope  of  recovery ;  but  they  still  sought  to  revenge  its 


CONSPIRACY   OF   PONTIAC. 


SI 


loss  by  inflaming  the  resentment  of  the  Indians,  and  in  this 
they  spared  neither  misrepresentation  nor  falseliood.  They  told 
them  that  the  English  had  formed  the  deliberate  design  of  root- 
ing out  their  race,  and  for  that  purpose  were  already  penning 
them  in  with  settlements  on  the  one  hand  and  a  chain  of  forts 
on  the  other ;  that  the  King  of  France  had  of  late  years  fallen 
asleep ;  that,  during  his  slumbers,  the  English  had  seized  upon 
Canada ;  but  that  he  was  now  awake,  and  his  armies  were  even 
then  advancing  up  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Mississippi,  to 
drive  the  intruders  from  the  country  of  his  red  children.  These, 
and  similar  fabrications,  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the  minds 
of  the  savages,  and  nerved  them  for  the  .ipproaching  contest. 
Yet  another  cause  contributed  much  toward  increasing  the  gen- 
eral excitement  and  dissatisfaction,  and  bringing  the  matter  to  an 
issue.  A  prophet  came  among  the  Delawares,  and  the  suscep- 
tibility of  the  Indians  to  religious  and  superstitious  impressions 
gave  him  a  mighty  influence  over  them.  They  were  taught  to 
lay  aside  every  thing  which  they  had  received  from  the  white 
man,  and  so  strengthen  and  purify  their  natures  as  to  make 
themselves  acceptable  to  the  Great  Spirit,  and  by  so  doing  they 
would  soon  be  restored  to  their  ancient  greatness  and  power, 
and  be  enabled  to  drive  the  enemy  from  their  country.  The 
prophet  had  many  followers.  From  far  and  near,  large  numbers 
came  to  listen  to  his  exhortations  ;  and  his  words,  pregnant  with 
mischief  to  the  unsuspecting  Englishman,  were  borne  even  to 
the  nations  around  the  northern  lakes. 

This  excitement  among  the  savage  tribes  soon  led  them  to 
overt  action.  Ik  the  Spring  of  1761,  Captain  Campbell,  then 
commanding  at  Detroit,  learned  that  a  deputation  of  Senecas 
had  come  to  the  neighboring  village  of  the  Wyandots  for  the 
purpose  of  instigating  the  latter  to  destroy  him  and  his  garrison. 
Upon  examination,  the  plot  was  found  to  be  general,  and  other 
posts  were  to  share  the  fate  of  his  own  ;  but  his  promptness  in 
sending  information  to  the  other  commanders  nipped  the  con- 
spiracy in  the  bud.  During  the  following  year,  a  similar  design 
was  detected  and  suppressed.     But  these  were  only  the  pre. 


!( 


V 


i  I 


hi' 


, lii 

Ml 

ii 

1! 


r     i 


i  Hi! 


34 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


cursors  of  a  tempest.  In  the  Spring  of  1763,  a  scheme  was  ma- 
tured, "greater  in  extent,  deeper  and  more  comprehensive  m 
design — such  a  one  as  was  never,  before  or  since,  conceived  or 
executed  by  a  North  American  Indian."  It  contemplated,— ;;?rj/^ 
a  sudden  and  contemporaneous  assault  upon  all  the  English  forts 
around  the  lakes ;  and,  second^  the  garrisons  having  been  de 
stroyed,  the  turning  of  a  savage  avalanche  of  destruction  upon 
the  defenseless  frontier  settlements,  until,  as  many  fondly  be- 
lieved, the  English  should  be  driven  into  the  sea,  and  the  Indians 
reinstated  in  their  primitive  possessions. 

But  before  we  further  describe  this  conspiracy,  let  us  turn  our 
attention  towards  Michilimackinac,  and  note  the  events  that  were 
transpiring  at  that  point.  It  is  unnecessary  to  say  that  the 
Indians  of  this  neighborhood  as  generally  and  as  sincerely  la- 
mented the  change  which  had  taken  place  in  public  affairs  as  their 
more  southern  neighbors.  While  they  were  strongly  attached  to 
the  old  residents,  with  whom  they  had  so  long  Jived  and  traded 
on  the  most  amicable  term. ,  Ihey  were  very  generally  prejudiced 
against  the  new-comers  ;  and  this  prejudice  was  wholly  due  to  the 
French  :  for,  at  the  time  of  which  we  speak,  the  English  had  not 
taken  possession  of  the  post.  We  can  not  better  describe  the 
feelings  which  actuated  these  Indians  than  by  relating  the  ad- 
ventures of  Alexander  Henry,  the  first  English  fur-trader  who 
ventured  to  come  among  them.  It  was  with  difficulty  that 
Henry  obtained  permission  to  trade  at  Michilimackinac  at  the 
time  ;  for,  no  treaty  of  peace  having  been  made  with  the  Indians, 
the  authorities  were  justly  apprehensive  that  neither  the  property 
nor  lives  of  his  majesty's  subjects  would  be  very  secure  among 
them.  But,  eager  to  make  the  attempt  which  he  himself  after- 
ward called  premature,  he  at  length  obtained  the  coveted  license, 
and,  on  the  third  day  of  August,  1761,  began  his  journey. 
Nothing  worthy  of  note  occurred  until  he  reached  the  island  of 
La  Cloche,  in  Lake  Huron.  Here  the  trader  found  a  large 
village  of  Indians,  whose  behavior  was,  at  first,  full  of  civility 
and  kindness  ;  but  when  they  discovered  that  he  was  an  English- 
man, there  was  at  once  a  marked  change  in  the  treatment  which 


CONSPIRACY   OF   PONTIAC. 


H 


he  received  at  their  hands.  They  told  him  that  the  Indians  at 
Michilimackinac  would  not  fail  to  kill  him,  and  that  they  had  a 
right,  therefore,  to  a  share  of  the  pillage.  Upon  this  principle, 
ihey  demanded  a  keg  of  rum,  adding  that  if  it  was  not  given  to 
them,  they  would  proceed  to  take  it.  Henry  judged  it  prudent 
to  comply,  but  on  condition  that  he  should  experience  no  fur- 
thei  molestation  from  them.  From  this  point  he  received  re- 
peated warnings  ©f  sure  destruction  at  Michilimackinac.  Op- 
pressed with  a  sense  of  danger,  he  knew  not  what  to  do.  It 
was  well-nigh  impossible  to  return,  as  he  was  advised  to  do  ; 
for  his  provisions  were  nearly  exhausted.  At  length,  observing 
that  the  hostility  of  the  Indians  was  exclusively  toward  the 
English,  while  between  them  and  his  Canadian  attendants  there 
appeared  the  most  cordial  good-will,  he  resolved  to  change  his 
English  dress  for  a  suit  such  as  was  usually  worn  by  Canadian 
traders.  This  done,  he  besmeared  his  face  and  hands  witii  dirt 
and  grease,  and,  taking  the  place  of  one  of  his  men  whenever 
Indians  approached,  used  the  paddle,  with  as  much  skill  as  pos- 
sible. In  this  manner  he  was  enabled  to  prosecute  his  journey 
without  attracting  the  smallest  notice.  Early  in  September,  he 
arrived  at  the  island  of  Mackinac,  and  here  we  propose  to  intro- 
duce the  hardy  adventurer  to  the  reader,  and  allow  him,  in  his 
voyageur's  dress,  to  speak  for  himself: 

"  The  land  in  the  center  of  this  island,"  he  says,  "  is  high, 
and  its  form  somewhat  resembles  that  of  a  turtle's  back. 
Mackinac,  or  Mickinac,  signifies  a  turtle,  and  viichi,  or  missi, 
signifies  great,  as  it  does  also  several,  or  viany.  The  common 
interpretation  of  the  word  Michilimackinac  is,  the  Great  Turtle. 
It  is  from  this  island  that  the  fort,  commonly  known  by  the  name 
of  Michilimackinac,  has  obtained  its  appellation. 

"On  the  island,  as  I  had  previously  been  taught  to  expect, 
there  was  a  village  of  Chippewas,  said  to  contain  a  hundred 
warriors.  Here  I  was  fearful  of  discovery,  and  consequent  ill- 
treatment  ;  but  after  inquiring  the  news,  and  particularly  whether 
or  not  any  Englishman  was  coming  to  Michilimackiviac,  they  suf- 
fered us  to  pass  uninjured.    One  man,  indeed;  looked  at  me, 


«   lijhjli! 

i 


! 


'  i 


: 


.  I, 

llf.    .■■,il,;!ll 


I- 


•■    I      ii 


V 


36 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


laughed,  and  pointed  me  out  to  another.  This  was  enough  to 
give  me  some  uneasiness  ;  but,  whatever  was  the  singularity  he 
perceived  in  me,  both  he  and  his  friend  retired,  without  sus- 
pecting me  to  be  an  Englishman. 

"  Leaving,  as  speedily  as  possible,  the  island  of  Michilimack- 
inac,  I  crossed  the  strait,  and  landed  at  the  fort  of  the  same 
name.  The  distance  from  the  island  is  about  two  leagues.  I 
landed  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

"  Here  I  put  the  entire  charge  of  my  effects  into  the  hands 
of  my  assistant.  Campion,  between  whom  and  myself  it  had 
been  previously  agreed  that  he  should  pass  for  the  proprietor ; 
and  my  men  were  instructed  to  conceal  the  fact  that  I  was  an 
Englishman. 

"  Campion  soon  found  a  house,  to  which  I  retired,  and  where 
I  hoped  to  remain  in  privacy ;  but  the  men  soon  betrayed  my 
secret,  and  I  was  visited  by  the  inhabitants,  with  great  show  of 
civility.  They  assured  me  that  I  could  not  stay  at  Michilimack- 
inac  without  the  most  imminent  risk,  and  strongly  recommended 
that  I  should  lose  no  time  in  making  my  escape  to  Detroit. 

"  Though  language  like  this  could  not  but  increase  my  un- 
easiness, it  did  not  shake  my  determination  to  remain  with  my 
property,  and  encounter  the  evils  with  which  I  was  threatened : 
and  my  spirits  were  in  some  measure  sustained  by  the  sentiments 
of  Campion  in  this  regard  ;  for  he  declared  his  belief  that  the 
Canadian  inhabitants  of  the  fort  were  more  hostile  than  the  In- 
dians, as  being  jealous  of  Indian  traders,  who,  like  myself,  were 
penetrating  into  the  country. 

"  Fort  Michilimackinac  was  built  by  order  of  the  Governor- 
General  of  Canada,  and  garrisoned  with  a  small  number  of  militia, 
who,  having  families,  soon  became  less  soldiers  than  settlers. 
Most  of  those  whom  I  found  in  the  fort  had  originally  served  in 
the  French  army. 

"  The  fort  stands  on  the  south  side  of  the  strait,  which  is 
between  Lake  Huron  and  Lake  Michigan.  It  has  an  area  of 
two  acres,  and  is  inclosed  with  pickets  of  cedar-wood,  and  it  is 
so  near  the  water's  edge  that,  when  the  wind  is  in  the  west,  the 


CONSPIRACY   OF   PONTIAC 


37 


waves  break  against  the  stockade.  On  the  bastions  are  two 
small  pieces  of  brass  English  cannon,  taken  some  years  since  by 
a  party  of  Canadians  who  went  on  a  plundering  expedition 
against  the  posts  of  Hudson's  Bay,  which  they  reached  by  the 
route  of  the  river  Churchill. 

"Within  the  stockade  are  thirty  houses,  neat  in  their  appear 
ance,  and  tolerably  commodious  ;  and  a  church,  in  which  mass 
is  celebrated  by  a  Jesuit  missionary.  The  number  of  families 
may  be  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  houses,  and  their  subsistence 
is  derived  from  the  Indian  traders,  who  assemble  here  in  their 
voyages  to  and  from  Montreal.  Michilimackinac  is  the  place  of 
deposit,  and  point  of  departure  between  the  upper  countries  and 
the  lower.  Here  the  outfits  arc  prepared  for  the  countries  of 
Lake  Michigan  and  the  Mississippi,  Lake  Superior  and  the  North- 
west ;  and  here  the  returns  in  furs  are  collected  and  embarked 
for  Montreal. 

"  I  was  not  released  from  the  visits  and  admonitions  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  fort,  before  I  received  the  equivocal  intel- 
ligence that  llie  whole  band  of  Chippewas  from  the  island  of 
Michilimackinac  was  arrived  with  the  intention  of  paying  me 
a  visit. 

"  There  was  in  the  fort  one  Farley,  an  interpreter,  lately  in 
the  employ  of  the  French  Commandant.  He  had  married  a 
Chippewa  woman,  and  was  said  to  possess  great  influence  over 
the  nation  to  which  his  wife  belonged.  Doubtful  as  to  the  kind 
of  visit  which  I  was  about  to  receive,  I  sent  for  this  interpreter, 
and  requested  first  that  he  would  have  the  kindness  to  be 
present  at  the  interview,  and,  secondly,  that  he  would  inform  me 
of  the  intentions  of  the  band.  Mr.  Farley  ao;reed  to  be 
present ;  and,  as  to  the  object  of  the  visit,  replied  that  it  was 
consistent  with  a  uniform  custom,  that  a  stranger  on  his  arrival 
should  be  waited  upon,  and  welcomed  by  the  chiefs  of  the  nation, 
who,  on  their  part,  always  gave  a  small  present,  and  always  ex- 
pected a  large  one  ;  but,  as  to  the  rest,  declared  himself  unable 
to  answer  for  the  particular  views  of  the  Chippewas  on  this  occa- 
sion, I  being  an  Englishman,  and  the  Indians  having  made  no 


38 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


diii 

ill 

1 


ml'  'i ' 


i 


treaty  with  the  English.  He  thought  that  there  might  be  danger, 
the  Indians  having  protested  that  they  would  not  suffer  an  Eng- 
lishman to  remain  in  their  part  of  the  country.  This  information 
was  far  from  agreeable ;  but  ther-j  was  no  resource,  except  in 
fortitude  and  patience. 

"  At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  Chippewas  came  to  my 
house,  about  sixty  in  number,  and  headed  by  Mina'va'va'na,  their 
i-hief.  They  walked  in  single  file,  each  w'th  his  tomahawk  in 
one  hand,  and  scalping-knifc  in  the  other.  Their  bodies  were 
naked,  from  the  waist  upward,  except  in  a  few  examples,  where 
blankets  were  thrown  loosely  over  the  shoulders.  Their  faces 
were  painted  with  '■.harcoal  worked  up  with  grease ;  their 
bodies  with  white  '.(ay,  in  patterns  of  various  fancies.  Some 
had  feathers  tlirus*  through  their  noses,  and  their  heads  decorated 
with  the  s.ime.  It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  on  the  sensations 
with  which  I  beheld  the  approach  of  this  uncouth,  if  not  frightful, 
assemblage. 

"The  tiJief  entered  first,  and  the  rest  followed,  without 
noise.  On  receiving  a  sign  from  the  former,  the  latter  seated 
themselves  on  the  floor. 

"  Minavavana  appeared  to  be  about  fifty  years  of  age.  He 
was  six  feet  in  height,  ancJ  had  in  his  countenance  an  inde- 
scribable mixture  of  good  and  evil.  Looking  steadfasdy  at 
me,  where  I  sat  in  ceremony,  with  an  interpreter  on  either 
hand,  and  several  Canadians  behind  me,  he  entered,  at  the 
same  time,  into  conversation  with  Campion,  inquiring  how  long 
it  was  since  I  left  Montreal,  and  observing  that  the  English,  as 
it  would  seem,  were  brave  men,  and  not  afraid  of  deatli,  since  they 
dared  to  come,  as  I  had  done,  fearlessly  among  their  enemies. 

"The  Indians  now  gravely  smoked  their  pipes,  while  I  in- 
wardly endured  the  tortures  of  suspense.  At  length,  the  pipes 
being  finished,  as  well  as  a  long  pause  by  which  they  were  suc- 
ceeded, Minavavana,  taking  a  few  strings  of  wampum  in  his 
hand,  began  the  following  speech: 

" '  Englishman,  it  is  to  you  that  I  speak,  and  I  demand  your 
attention  ! 


.1 


CONSPIRACY    OF    PONTIAC. 


39 


"  '  Englishman,  you  know  that  the  French  King  is  our  father. 
He  promised  to  be  such  ;  and  we,  in  return,  promised  to  be  his 
chiUhen.     This  promise  we  have  l<opt.  ' 

" '  Englishman,  it  is  you  that  have  made  war  with  this  our 
ftither.  You  are  his  enemy  ;  and  how,  then,  could  you  have 
the  boldness  to  venture  among  us,  his  children  ?  You  know 
that  his  enemies  are  ours. 

"  •  Englishman,  we  are  informed  that  our  father,  the  King  of 
France,  is  old  and  infirm  ;  and  that,  being  fatigued  with  making 
war  upon  your  nation,  he  is  fallen  asleep.  During  his  sleep  you 
have  taken  advantage  of  him,  and  ])ossessed  yourselves  of  Can- 
ada. Hut  his  nap  is  almost  at  an  end.  I,  think  I  hear  him 
already  stirring  and  inquiring  for  his  children,  the  Indians; 
and,  when  he  does  awake,  what  must  become  of  you  ?  He  will 
destroy  yoif  utterly  I 

" '  Englishman,  although  you  have  conquered  the  French, 
you  have  not  yet  conquered  us !  We  are  not  your  slaves. 
These  lakes,  these  woods  and  mountains,  were  left  to  us  by  our 
ancestors.  They  are  our  inheritance,  and  we  will  part  with 
them  to  none.  Your  nation  supposes  that  we,  like  the  white 
people,  can  not  live  without  bread — and  pork — and  beef!  But, 
you  ought  to  know  that  He,  the  Great  Spirit  and  Master  of  Life, 
has  provided  food  for  us,  in  these  spacious  lakes,  and  on  these 
woody  mountains. 

"'Englishman,  our  father,  the  King  of  France,  employed  our 
young  men  to  make  war  upon  your  nation.  In  this  warfare 
many  of  them  have  been  killed  ;  and  it  is  our  custom  to  retaliate 
until  such  time  as  the  spirits  of  the  slain  are  satisfied.  But  the 
spirits  of  the  slain  are  to  be  siitisfied  in  either  of  two  ways  ;  the 
first  is  by  the  spilling  of  the  blood  of  the  nation  by  which  they 
fall  ;  the  other,  by  coverhif^  t/w  bodies  of  the  dead,  and  thus  allay- 
ing the  resentment  of  their  relations.  This  is  done  by  making 
presents. 

'"Englishman,  your  king  has  never  sent  us  any  presents, 
nor  entered  into  any  treaty  with  us,  wherefore  he  and  we  are 
still  at  war ;  and.  until  he  does  these  things,  we  must  consider 


40 


OLD    AND    NEW    MACKINAC. 


that  we  have  no  otlier  father  nor  friend,  among  the  white  men, 
than  the  King  of  France ;  but,  for  you,  wc  have  taken  into  con- 
sideration that  you  have  ventured  your  hfe  among  us  in  the  ex- 
pectation that  we  should  not  molest  you.  You  do  not  come 
armed,  witii  an  intention  to  make  war  ;  you  come  in  peace,  to 
trade  with  us,  and  supply  us  with  necessaries,  of  which  we  are 
much  in  want.  We  shall  regard  you,  therefore,  as  a  brother ; 
and  you  may  sleep  tranquilly,  without  fear  of  the  Chippewas. 
As  a  token  of  our  friendship,  we  present  you  with  this  pipe,  to 
smoke.' 

"  As  Minavavana  uttered  these  words,  an  Indian  presented 
me  with  a  pipe,  which,  after  I  had  drawn  the  smoke  three  times, 
was  carrietl  to  the  chief,  and  after  him  to  every  person  in  the 
room.  This  ceremony  ended,  the  chief  arose,  and  gave  me  his 
hand,  in  which  he  was  followed  by  all  the  rest. 

"  Being  again  seated,  Minavavana  requested  that  his  young 
men  might  be  allowed  to  taste  what  he  called  my  English  milk 
(meaning  rum),  observing,  that  it  was  long  since  they  had  tasted 
any,  and  that  they  were  very  desirous  to  know  whether  or  not  there 
were  any  difference  between  the  English  milk  and  the  French. 

"  Mj'  adventure  on  leaving  Fort  William  Augustus  had  left 
an  impression  on  my  mind  which  made  me  tremble  when  Indians 
asked  for  rum  j  and  I  would  therefore  willingly  have  excused 
myself  in  this  particular ;  but,  being  informed  that  it  was  cus- 
tomary to  comply  with  the  request,  and  withal  satisfied  with  the 
friendly  declarations  which  I  had  received,  I  promised  to  give 
them  a  small  cask  at  parting.  After  this,  by  the  aid  of  my  in- 
terpreter, I  made  a  reply  to  the  speech  of  Minavavana,  declaring 
that  it  was  the  good  character  which  I  had  heard  of  the  Indians 
that  had  alone  emboldened  me  to  come  among  them  ;  that  their 
late  fuller,  the  King  of  France,  had  surrendered  Canada  to  the 
King  of  England,  whom  they  ought  to  regard  now  as  their  father, 
and  who  would  be  as  careful  of  them  as  the  other  had  been ; 
that  I  had  come  to  furnish  them  with  necessaries,  and  that  their 
good  treatment  of  me  would  be  an  encouragement  to  others. 
They  appeared    satisfied  with  what  I  said,  repealing  Eh  I  (an 


:!■ 


CONSPIRACY   OF   PONTIAC. 


41 


expression  of  approbation)  after  hearing  each  particular.  I  had 
prepared  a  preaent,  which  I  now  gave  tlieni  with  the  utmost  good- 
will.    At  their  departure,  I  distributed  a  small  quantity  of  rum. 

"Relieved,  as  I  now  imagined  myself,  from  all  occasion  of 
anxiety  as  to  the  treatment  which  1  was  to  experience  from  the 
Indians,  I  assorted  my  goods,  and  hired  Canadan  interpreters  and 
clerks,  in  whose  care  I  was  to  send  them  into  Lake  Michigan, 
and  the  river  Saint  Pierre,  in  the  country  of  the  Nadowessies  ; 
into  Lake  Superior  among  the  Cliippewas ;  and  to  tiie  Grand 
Portage,  for  the  north-west.  Every  thing  was  ready  for  their 
departure,  when  new  dangers  sprung  up  and  threatened  to  over- 
whelm me. 

"At  the  entrance  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  at  about  twenty 
miles  to  the  west  of  Fort  Michilimackinac,  is  the  village  of 
L'Arbre  Croche,  inhabited  by  a  band  of  Ottawas,  boasting  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  fighting  men.  L'Arbre  Croche  is  the  seat 
of  the  Jesuit  Mission  of  Saint  Ignace  de  Michilimackinac,  and 
the  people  .are  partly  baptized  and  partly  not.  The  missionary 
resides  on  a  farm,  attached  to  the  mission,  and  situated  between 
the  village  and  the  fort,  both  of  which  ar  i  under  his  care.  The 
Ottawas  of  L'Arbre  Croche,  who,  when  compared  with  the 
Chippewas,  appear  to  be  much  advanced  in  civilization,  grow 
maize  for  the  market  of  Michilimackinac,  where  this  commodity 
is  depended  upon  for  provisioning  the  canoes. 

"The  new  dangers  which  presented  themselves  came  from 
this  village  of  Ottawas.  Every  thing,  as  I  have  said,  was  in 
readiness  for  the  departure  of  my  goods,  whim  accounts  arrived 
of  its  approach  ;  and  shortly  after,  two  hundred  warriors  entered 
the  fort,  and  billeted  themselves  in  the  several  houses  among  the 
Canadian  inhabitants.  The  next  morning,  they  assembled  in 
the  house  which  was  built  for  the  commandant,  or  governor,  and 
ordered  the  attendance  of  myself,  and  of  two  other  merchants, 
still  later  from  Montreal ;  namely,  Messrs.  Stanley  Goddard  and 
Ezekicl  Solomons. 

"After  our  entering  the  council-room,  and  taking  our  seats, 
one  of  the  chiefs  commenced  an  address :     '■  Englishmen,"'  said 


43 


OLD    AND    NEW    MACKINAC. 


he  'we,  the  Ottawas,  were  some  time  since  informed  of  your 
arrival  in  this  country,  and  of  your  having  broiiglit  with  yon  the 
goods  of  which  we  have  need.  At  the  news  we  were  greatly 
pleased,  believing  that,  through  your  assistance,  our  wives  and 
children  would  be  enabled  to  pass  another  Winter  ;  but  what  was 
our  surprise  when,  a  few  days  ago,  we  were  again  informed  that 
the  goods  which,  as  we  had  expected,  were  intended  for  us,  were 
on  the  eve  of  departure  for  distant  countries,  of  which  some  are 
inhabited  by  our  enemies !  These  accounts  being  spread,  our 
wives  and  children  came  to  us,  crying,  and  desiring  that  we 
should  go  to  the  fort,  to  learn,  with  our  own  ears,  their  truth  or 
falsehood.  We  accordingly  embarked,  almost  naked,  as  you  see  ; 
and  on  our  arrival  here,  we  have  inquired  into  the  accounts,  and 
found  them  true.  We  see  your  canoes  ready  to  depart,  and  find 
your  men  engaged  for  the  Mississippi  and  other  distant  regions. 

"  Under  these  circumstances,  we  have  considered  the  affair  j 
and  you  are  now  sent  for,  that  you  may  hear  our  determination, 
which  is,  that  you  shall  give  to  each  of  our  men,  young  and 
old,  merchandise  and  ammunition  to  the  amount  of  fifty  beaver- 
skins,  on  credit,  and  for  which  I  have  no  doubt  of  their  paying 
you  in  the  Summer,  on  their  return  from  their  wintering. 

"  A  compliance  with  this  demand  would  have  stripped  me 
and  my  fellow-merchants  of  all  our  merchandisf; ;  and  what  ren- 
dered the  affair  still  more  serious,  we  even  learned  that  these 
Ottawas  were  never  accustomed  to  pay  for  what  they  received  on 
credit.  In  reply,  therefore,  to  the  si  jech  which  we  had  heard, 
we  requested  that  the  demand  contained  in  it  might  be  dimin- 
ished ;  but  we  were  answered,  that  the  Ottawas  had  nothing 
further  to  say,  except  that  ihey  would  allow  till  the  next  day  for 
reflection  ;  after  which,  if  compliance  was  not  given,  they  would 
make  no  further  application,  but  take  into  their  own  hands  the 
property,  which  they  already  regarded  as  their  own,  as  having 
been  brought  into  their  country  before  the  conclusion  of  any 
peace  between  themselves  and  the  English. 

"  We  now  returned  to  consider  of  our  situation ;  and  in  the 
evening,  Farley,  the  interpreter,  paid  us  a  visit,  assured  us  that 


CONSPIRACY   OF  PONTIAC. 


43 


it  was  the  intention  of  the  Ottawas  to  put  us,  that  night,  to 
death.  He  advised  us,  as  our  only  means  of  safety,  to  comply 
with  the  demands  which  had  been  made  ;  but  we  suspected  our 
informant  of  a  disposition  to  prey  upon  our  fears,  with  a  view  to 
induce  us  to  abandon  the  Indian  trade,  and  resolved,  however 
this  might  be,  rather  to  stand  on  the  defensive  than  submit. 
We  trusted  to  the  house  in  which  I  lived  as  a  fort;  and  armed 
ourselves,  and  about  thirty  of  our  men,  with  muskets.  Whether 
or  not  the  Ottawas  ever  intended  violence,  we  never  had  an 
opportunity  of  knowing  ;  but  the  night  passed  quietly. 

"  Early  the  next  morning,  a  second  council  was  held,  and  the 
merchants  were  again  summoned  to  attend.  Believing  that 
every  hope  of  resistance  would  be  lost  should  we  commit  our 
person  into  the  hands  of  our  enemies,  we  sent  only  a  refusal. 
There  was  none  without,  in  whom  we  had  any  confidence,  except 
Campion.  From  him  we  learned,  from  time  to  time,  whatever 
was  rumored  among  the  Canadian  inhabitants  as  to  the  designs 
of  the  Ottawas  ;  and  from  him,  toward  sunset,  we  received  the 
gratifying  intelligence  that  a  detachment  of  British  soldiery,  sent 
to  garrison  Michilimackinac,  was  distant  only  five  miles,  and 
would  enter  the  fort  early  the  next  morning.  Near  at  hand, 
Iwwever,  as  relief  was  reported  to  be,  our  anxiety  could  not  but  be 
great ;  for  a  long  night  was  to  be  passed,  and  our  fixte  might  be 
decided  before  the  morning.  To  increase  our  apprehensions, 
about  midnight  we  were  informed  that  the  Ottawas  were  holding 
a  council,  at  which  no  white  man  was  permitted  f^o  be  present, 
Farley  alone  excepted ;  and  him  we  suspected,  and  afterward 
positively  knew,  to  be  our  greatest  enemy.  We,  on  our  part, 
remained  all  night  upon  the  alert ;  but  at  day-break,  to  our  sur- 
prise and  joy,  we  saw  the  Ottawas  preparing  to  depart.  By  sun- 
rise, not  a  man  of  them  was  left  in  the  fort ;  and,  indeed,  the 
scene  was  altogether  changed.  The  inhabitants,  who,  wiiile  the 
Ottawas  were  present,  had  avoided  all  connection  with  the  En- 
glish traders,  now  came  with  congratulations.  T'ey  related  that 
the  Ottawas  had  proposed  to  them  that,  if  joined  by  the  Cana- 
dians, they  would  march  and  attack  the  troops  which  were  known 


\ 


44 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


to  be  advancing  on  the  fort ;  and  they  added  that  it  was  their 
refusal  which  liad  determined  the  Ottawas  to  depart.  At  noon, 
three  hundred  troops  of  the  Sixtieth  Regiment,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant  Lesslie,  marched  into  the  fort;  and  this 
arrival  dissipated  all  our  fears,  from  whatever  source  derived. 
After  a  few  days,  detachments  were  sent  into  the  Bay  desPuans, 
by  which  is  the  route  to  the  Mississippi,  and  at  the  mouth  of 
Saint  Joseph,  which  leads  to  the  Illinois.  The  Indians  from  all 
quarters  came  to  pay  their  respects' to  the  commandant;  and 
the  merchants  tlispatchad  their  canoes,  though  it  was  now  the 
middle  of  September,  and  therefore  somewhat  late  in  the 
season." 

Thus  relieved  from  his  fears,  Henry  spent  the  Winter  atMich- 
ilimackinac,  amusing  himself  is  best  he  could  by  hunting  and 
fisliing.  But  few  of  the  Indians,  he  tells  us,  came  to  the  fort,  ex- 
cepting two  families,  one  of  which  was  that  of  a  chief.  These 
families  lived  on  a  river  five  leagues  below,  and  came  occasion- 
ally with  beaver-flesh  for  sale.  This  chief  was  an  exception  to 
the  rule  ;  for  instead  of  being  hostile  toward  the  English,  he  was 
warmly  attached  to  them.  But  in  this  case  the  exception  proved 
the  rule,  to  a  demonstration.  Henry  thus  speaks  of  him  :  "He 
had  been  taken  prisoner  by  Sir  William  Johnson,  at  the  siege  of 
Fort  Niagara;  and  had  received  from  that  intelligent  officer  his 
liberty,  the  medal  usually  presented  to  a  chief,  and  the  British 
flag.  Won  by  these  unexpected  acts  of  kindness,  he  had  re- 
turned to  Michilimackinac,  full  of  praises  of  the  English,  and 
hoisting  his  flag  over  his  lodge.  This  latter  demonstration  of 
his  partiality  had  nearly  cost  him  his  life;  his  lodge  was  broken 
down,  and  his  flag  torn  to  pieces.  The  pieces  he  carefully 
gathered  up,  and  preserved  with  pious  care  ;  and  whenever  he 
came  to  the  fort,  he  drew  them  forth  and  exhibited  them.  On 
these  occasions,  it  grew  into  a  custom  to  give  him  as  much  liquor 
as  he  said  was  necessary  to  make  him  cry  over  the  misfortune  of 
losing  his  flag.  The  commandant  would  have  given  him  another  ; 
but  he  thought  that  he  could  not  accept  it  without  danger." 

Upon  the  opening  of  navigation,  Henry  left  Michilimackinac 


CONSPIRACY    OF   PONTIAC, 


45 


to  visit  the  Sault  de  St.  Marie.  Here  he  made  the  acquaintance 
of  M.  Cadotte,  an  interpreter,  whose  wife  was  a  Chippewa;  and, 
desirous  of  learning  that  language,  he  decided  to  spend  the  suc- 
ceeding Winter  in  the  fiimiiy  of  his  new-found  friend.  Here  also 
there  was  a  small  fort,  and  during  the  Summer  a  small  detachment 
of  troops,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Jemette,  arrived  to 
1  irrison  it.  Late  in  the  Fall,  however,  a  destructive  fire,  which 
consumed  all  the  houses  except  Cadotte's,  and  all  the  fort  supplies, 
made  it  necessary  to  send  the  garrison  back  to  Michilimackinac. 
The  few  that  were  left  at  this  place  were  now  crowded  into  one 
small  house,  and  compelled  to  gain  a  subsistence  by  hunting  and 
fishing.  Thus,  inuring  himself  to  hardships,  and  fiimiiiarizing 
himself  with  the  Chippewa  tongue,  Henry  passed  the  second 
Winter  of  his  sojourn  in  the  wilderness  of  the  Upper  Lakes. 
Early  in  the  succeeding  Spring,  1763,  he  was  visited  by  Sir 
Robert  Dover,  an  English  gentleman,  who,  as  Henry  tells  us, 
"  was  on  a  voyage  of  curiosity,"  and  with  him  he  again  re- 
turned to  Michilimackinac.  Here  he  intended  to  remain  until 
his  clerks  should  come  from  the  interior,  and  then  go  back 
to  tlie  Sault.  Leaving  our  hero  at  the  moment  of  his  arrival 
at  the  fort,  we  must  again  turn  our  atiiention  to  the  tribes  farther 
south. 

"  It  is  difficult  to  determine,"  says  Parkman,  "  which  tribe  was 
first  to  raise  the  cry  of  war.  There  were  many  who  might  have 
done  so ;  for  all  the  savages  in  the  backwoods  were  ripe  for  an 
outbreak,  and  the  movemen,:  seemeJ  almost  simultaneous.  The 
Delawares  and  Senecas  were  the  most  incensed  ;  and  Kiashuta, 
chief  of  the  latter,  was  perhaps  foremost  to  apply  the  torch  :  but 
if  this  were  the  case,  he  touched  fire  to  materials  already  on  the 
point  of  igniting.  It  belonged  to  a  greater  chief  than  he  to  give 
method  and  order  to  what  would  else  have  been  a  wild  burst 
of  fury,  and  to  convert  desultory  attacks  into  a  formidable  and 
protracted  war.  But  for  Pontiac,  the  whole  might  have  ended 
in  a  few  troublesome  inroads  upon  the  frontier,  and  a  little 
whooping  and  yelling  under  the  walls  of  Fort  Pitt." 

There  has  been  some  dispute  as  to  the  nationality  of  Pontiac. 


1.^ 


I  ! 


PI 


ill 

i  li"  ii 

■  111 


46 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


Some  have  made  him  a  member  of  the  tribe  of  Sacks,  or  Saakies  ; 
but  by  far  the  greater  number  have  placed  him  among  the  Otta- 
was.  His  home  was  about  eight  miles  above  Detroit,  on  Pechee 
Island,  which  looks  out  upon  the  waters  of  Lake  St.  Clair.  His 
form  was  cast  in  the  finest  mold  of  savage  grace  and  strength, 
and  his  eye  seemed  capable  of  penetrating,  at  a  glance,  the 
secret  motives  which  actuated  the  savage  tribes  around  him. 
His  rare  personal  qualities,  his  courage,  resolution,  wisdom, 
address,  and  eloquence,  together  with  the  hereditary  claim  to 
authority  which,  according  to  Indian  custom,  he  possessed, 
secured  for  him  the  esteem  of  both  the  French  and  English,  and 
gave  him  an  influence  among  the  Lake  tribes  greater  than  that 
of  any  other  individual.  Early  in  life  he  distinguished  himself  as 
a  chieftain  of  no  ordinary  ability.  In  1746,  he  commanded  a 
powerful  body  of  Indians,  mostly  Ottawas,  who  gallantly  defended 
the  people  of  Detroit  against  the  formiflable  attack  of  several 
combined  northern  tribes  ;  and  it  is  supposed  that  he  was  present 
at  the  disastrous  defeat  of  Braddock,  in  which  several  hundred  of 
his  warriors  were  engaged.  He  had  always,  at  least  up  to  the 
time  when  Major  Rogers  came  into  the  country,  been  a  firm 
friend  of  the  French,  and  received  many  marks  of  esteem  from 
the  French  officer.  Marquis  de  Montcalm. 

How  could  he,  then,  "  the  daring  chief  of  the  North-west," 
do  otherwise  than  dispute  the  English  claim  to  his  country  ? 
How  could  he  endure  the  sight  of  this  people  driving  the  game 
from  his  hunting-grounds,  and  his  friends  and  allies  from  the 
lands  they  had  so  long  possessed  ?  When  he  heard  that  Rogers 
was  advancing  along  the  lakes  to  take  possession  of  the  country, 
his  indignation  knew  no  bounds,  and  he  at  once  sent  deputies, 
requesting  him  to  halt  until  such  time  as  he  could  see  him. 
Flattering  words  and  fair  proirises  induced  him,  at  length,  to 
extend  the  hand  of  friendship  to  Rogers.  He  was  inclined  to 
live  peaceably  with  the  English,  and  to  encourage  their  settling 
in  the  country,  as  long  as  they  treated  him  as  he  deserved  j  but 
if  they  treated  him  with  neglect,  he  woJrtd  shut  up  the  way,  and 
exclude  them  from  it.     He  did  not  consider  himself  a  conquered 


CONSPIRACY  OF   PONTIAC. 


47 


prince,  but  he  expected  to  be  treated  with  the  respect  and  honor 
due  to  a  king. 

While  a  system  of  good  management  might  have  allayed  every 
suspicion  and  engendered  peace  and  good- will,  a  want  of  cor 
diality  increased  the  discontent,  and  Pontiac  soon  saw  that  the 
fair  promises  which  had  been  made  him  were  but  idle  words. 
The  Indians  were  becoming  more  and  more  dissatisfied,  and  he 
began  seriously  to  apprehend  danger  from  the  new  government 
and  people.  He  saw  in  the  English  a  boundless  ambition  to 
possess  themselves  of  every  military  position  on  the  Northern 
waters,  an  ambition  which  plainly  indicated  to  his  far-reaching 
sagacity,  that  soon  nothing  less  than  undisputed  possession  of  all 
his  vast  domain  would  satisfy  them.  He  saw  in  them  a  people 
superior  in  arms,  but  utterly  destitute  of  that  ostensible  cordiality 
toward  the  Indians  personally  to  which  his  people  had  been 
accustomed  during  the  golden  age  of  French  dominion,  and 
which  they  were  apt  to  regard  as  necessary  indications  of  good 
faith.  There  seemed  no  disposition  for  national  courtesy,  indi- 
vidual intercourse,  or  beneficial  commerce  of  any  kind.  All 
tiiose  circumstances  which  made  the  neighborhood  of  the 
French  agreeable,  and  which  might  have  made  their  own  at  least 
tolerable,  they  neglected.  Their  conduct  never  gave  rest  to  sus- 
picion, while  that  of  the  French  never  gave  rise  to  it.  Hence, 
the  Indians  felt,  as  Minavavana  expressed  it,  that  they  had  "  no 
fathdr  among  the  white  men  but  the  King  of  France ;"  and  Pontiac 
resolved,  as  he  had  threatened,  to  "  shut  up  the  way."  His  plan, 
as  we  have  said,  was  to  make  a  contemporaneous  assault  upon 
all  the  British  posts,  and  thus  efTectually  to  extinguish  the  En- 
glish power  at  a  single  blow.  This  was  a  stro'  e  of  policy  which 
evinced  an  extraordinary  genius,  and  demandtu  for  its  successful 
execution  an  energy  and  courage  of  the  highest  order.  But 
Pontiac  was  fully  equal  to  the  task.  He  was  as  skillt'ul  in  ex- 
ecuting as  he  was  bold  in  planning.  He  knew  tliat  success 
would  multiply  friends  and  allies ;  but  friends  and  allies  were 
necessary  to  insure  success. 

First,  then,  a  council  must  be  called  ;  and  for  this  purpose,  at 


1  » 


\4 


Mi 

i 


11 


48 


OLD   AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 


I  !    i 

ii 


the  close  of  1762,  he  sent  out  his  embassadors  to  all  the  different 
nations.  With  the  war-belt  of  wampum  and  the  tomahawk 
stained  red  in  token  of  war,  these  swift-footed  messengers  went 
from  camp  to  camp  and  from  village  to  village,  throughout  the 
North,  South,  East,  and  West ;  and  in  whatever  tribe  they  ap- 
peared, the  sachems  assembled  to  hear  the  words  of  the  great 
Pontiac.  The  message  was  every-where  heard  with  appro- 
bation, the  war-belt  accepted,  and  the  hatchet  seized,  as  an 
indication  that  the  assembled  chiefs  stood  pledged  to  take  part 
in  the  war. 

The  Grand  Council  assembled  on  the  twenty-seventh  day  of 
the  following  April,  on  the  banks  of  the  little  river  Ecorce,  not 
far  from  Detroit.  The  pipe  went  round,  and  Pontiac  stepped 
forth,  plumed  and  painted  in  the  full  costume  of  war.  He  called 
into  requisition  all  the  eloquence  and  cunning  of  which  he  was 
master.  He  appealed  to  their  fears,  their  hopes,  their  ambition, 
their  cupidity,  their  hatred  of  the  English,  and  their  love  for 
their  old  friends,  the  French.  He  displayed  to  them  a  belt 
which  he  said  the  King  of  France  had  sent  him,  urging  him  to 
drive  the  English  from  the  country,  and  open  the  way  for  the 
return  of  the  French.  He  painted,  in  glowing  colors,  the  com- 
mon interests  of  their  race,  and  called  upon  them  to  make  a 
stand  against  a  common  foe.  He  told  them  of  a  dream  in  which 
the  Great  Manitou  had  appeared  to  a  chief  of  the  Abenakis, 
saying :  "  I  am  the  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  trees,  lakes, 
rivers,  and  all  things  else.  I  am  the  Maker  of  mankind  ;  and 
because  I  love  you,  you  must  do  my  will.  The  land  on  which 
you  live,  I  have  made  for  you,  and  not  for  others.  Why  do  you 
suffer  the  white  men  to  dwell  among  you  ?  My  children,  you 
have  forgotten  the  customs  and  traditions  of  your  forefathers. 
Why  do  you  not  clothe  yourselves  in  skins,  as  they  did,  and  use 
the  bows  and  arrows,  and  the  stone-pointed  lances  which  they 
used  ?  You  have  bought  guns,  knives,  kettles,  and  blankets  from 
the  white  men,  until  you  can  no  longer  do  without  them ;  and, 
what  is  worse,  you  have  drunk  the  poison  fire-water,  which  turns 
you  into  fools.    Fling  all  these  things  away  j  live  as  your  wise 


CONSPIRACY    OK    PONTIAC, 


49 


forefathers  lived  before  you.  And  as  for  these  English — these 
dogs  dressed  in  red,  who  have  come  to  rob  you  of  your 
hunting-grounds,  and  drive  away  the  game — you  must  lift  the 
hatchet  against  them.  Wipe  them  from  the  face  of  the  earth, 
and  then  you  will  win  my  favor  back  again,  and  once  more 
be  happy  and  prosperous.  The  children  of  your  great  father, 
the  King  of  France,  are  not  like  the  English.  Never  forget 
that  they  are  your  brethren.  They  are  very  dear  to  me ;  for 
they  love  the  red  men,  and  understand  the  true  mode  of  wor- 
shiping me." 

Such  an  appeal  to  the  passions  and  prejudices  of  credulous 
and  excited  savages  was  well  calculated  to  produce  the  desired 
effect.  If  the  Great  Spirit  was  with  them,  it  was  impossible  to 
fail..  Other  speeches  were  doubtless  made,  and  before  the 
Council  broke  up,  the  scheme  was  well  matured. 

Thus  was  the  crisis  hastening  on.  While  every  principle  of 
revenge,  ambition,  and  patriotism  in  the  savages  were  thus  being 
roused  up  to  the  highest  pitch,  and  the  tomahawk  was  already 
lifted  for  the  blow,  scarce  a  suspicion  of  the  savage  design  found 
its  way  to  the  minds  of  the  English.  Occasionally  an  English 
trader  would  see  something  in  their  behavior  which  caused  him 
to  suspect  mischief,  or  "  some  scoundrel  half-breed  would  be 
heard  boasting  in  his  cups  that  before  next  Summer  he  would 
have  English  hair  to  fringe  his  hunting-frock,"  but  these  things 
caused  no  a'arm.  Once,  however,  the  plot  was  nearly  discuv- 
ered.  A  friendly  Indian  told  the  commander  of  Fort  Miami 
that  a  war-belt  had  been  se^c  to  the  warriors  of  a  neighboring 
village,  and  that  the  des*.iUCtion  of  himself  and  garrison  had 
been  resolved  upon  ;  but  when  information  of  this  was  coi;veyed 
to  Major  Gladwyn,  of  Detroit,  that  officer  wrote  to  General 
Amherst  stating  that,  in  his  opinion,  there  had  been  some  irri- 
tation among  the  Indians,  but  that  the  affair  woiiid  soon  blow 
over,  and  that  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  own  fort  all  was  tran- 
quil. Amherst  thought  that  the  acts  of  the  Indians  were  unwar- 
rantable, and  hoped   that  they  would  be  too  sensible  of   their 

own   interests   to   conspire    against    the    English ;     he    wished 

4 


i'  '! 


Ml 


11 


SO 


OLD   AND    NEW    MACKINAC. 


them  to  know  that  if  they  did,  in  his  opiiwon  they  woUld 
make  a  "  contemptible  figure."  "  Yes,"  said  he,  "  a  contemptible 
figure!  They  would  be  the  sufferers,  and  in  the  end  it  would 
result  in  their  destruction."  Deluded  men !  Almost  within 
rifle-shot  of  Gladwyn's  quarters  was  Pontiiic,  the  arch-enemy 
of  the  English  and  the  prime  mover  in  the  plot ;  and  the 
sequel  proved  how  "  contemptible  "  was  the  figure  which  the 
savages  made  I 

From  North  to  South,  and  from  East  to  West,  the  work  of 
extirpation  soon  began.  Nihnbers  of  English  traders,  on  their 
way  from  all  quarters  of  the  country  to  the  different  posts,  were 
taken,  and  their  goods  made  the  prize  of  the  conquerors.  Large 
bodies  of  savages  were  seen  collecting  around  the  various  forts, 
yet,  strange  to  say,  without  exciting  any  serious  alarm.  When 
the  blow  was  struck,  which  jvas  nearly  at  the  same  time,  nine 
out  of  the  twelve  British  posts  were  surprised  and  destroyed  I 
It  would  doubtless  be  interesting  to  notice  in  detail  these  nine 
surprisals ;  but  it  is  foreign  to  our  purpose  to  give  in  full  more 
than  one,  that  of  Michilimackinac.  We  may  say,  however,  that, 
in  general,  quite  a^  much  was  effected  by  strategem  as  by  force, 
and  that,  apparently,  by  a  preconcerted  system  indicative  of  the 
far-reaching  superintendence  of  the  great  leader. 

This  chapter  may  be  appropriately  closed  with  the  following 
extracts  from  speeches  made  by  Pontiac  to  the  French  of  Detroit 
during  the  siege  of  that  place  : 

"  I  do  not  doubt,  my  brothers,  that  this  war  is  very  trouble- 
some to  you ;  for  our  warriors  are  continually  passi;.^  and  re- 
passing through  your  settlement.  I  am  sorry  for  it.  Do  not 
think  that  I  approve  of  the  damage  that  is  done  by  them  ;  and,  as 
a  proof  of  this,  remember  ih«e  war  with  the  Foxes,  and  the  part 
which  I  took  in  it.  It  is  now  seventeen  years  since  the  Ojibwas 
of  Michilimackinac,  combined  with  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  came 
down  to  destroy  you.  Who  then  defended  you  ?  Was  it  not  I, 
and  my  young  men  ?  Michinac,  great  chief  of  all  these  nations, 
said  in  council  that  he  would  carry  to  his  village  the  head  of 
your  commandant ;  that  he  would  eat  his  heart  and  drink  his 


CONSPIRACY   OK   PONTIAC. 


51 


blood.  Did  I  not  take  your  part  ?  Did  I  not  go  to  his  cimp 
and  say  to  iiiin,  that  if  he  wished  to  kill  llic  French  he  mnst  first 
kill  me  and  my  warriors?  Did  I  not  assist  you  in  routing  them 
and  driving  them  away?  And  now  you  think  that  I  would  turn 
my  arms  against  you  !  No,  my  brothers  ;  I  am  the  same  French 
I'ontiac  who  assisted  you  seventeen  years  ago  ;  I  am  a  French- 
man, and  I  wish  to  die  a  Frenchman  ;  and  I  now  repeat  to  you, 
tliat  you  and  I  are  one — that  it  is  (or  both  our  interests  that  I 
should  be  avenged.  Let  me  alone.  I  do  not  ask  you  for  aid  ; 
for  it  is  not  in  your  power  to  give  it.  I  only  ask  provisions  for 
myself  and  men.  Yet,  if  you  are  inclined  to  assist  me,  I  shall 
not  refuse  you.  It  would  please  me,  and  you  yourselves  would 
be  sooner  nd  of  your  troubles ;  for  I  promise  you  that  as  soon  as 
the  English  are  driven  out,  we  will  go  back  to  our  villages,  and 
there  await  the  arrival  of  our  French  father.  You  have  heard 
what  I  have  to  say ;  remain  at  peace,  and  I  will  watch  that  no 
harm  shall  be  done  to  you,  either  by  my  men  or  by  the  other 
Indians." 

The  following  address  was  made  at  a  more  advanced  stage 
nf  the  siege,  when  Pontiac  had  become  anxious  to  secure  the 
French  as  auxiliaries  in  th(,  war.  Throwing  a  war-belt  into  their 
midst,  he  said  :    ' 

"  My  brothers,  how  long  will  you  suffer  this  bad  flesh  to  re- 
main upon  your  lands  ?  I  have  told  you  before,  and  I  now  tell 
you  again,  that  when  I  took  up  the  liatchet,  it  was  for  your  good. 
This  year  the  English  must  all  perish  throughout  Canada.  The 
Master  of  Life  commands  it,  and  you,  who  know  him  better  than 
we,  wish  to  oppose  his  will.  Until  now  I  have  said  nothing  on 
this  matter.  I  have  not  urged  you  to  take  part  with  us  in  the 
war.  It  would  have  been  enough  had  you  been  content  to  sit 
quiet  on  your  mats,  looking  on,  while  we  were  fighting  for  you. 
But  you  have  not  done  so.  You  call  yourselves  our  friends,  and 
yet  you  assist  the  English  with  provisions,  and  go  about  as  spies 
among  our  villages.  This  must  not  continue.  You  must  be 
either  wholly  French  or  wholly  English.  If  you  are  French, 
take  up  that  war-belt  and  lift  the  hatchet  with  us  j  but  if  you  are 


'■'.H 


■  t\ 


1 


52 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


■<»      n 


English,  then  we  declare  war  upon  you.  My  brothers,  I  know 
this  is  a  hard  thing.  We  are  all  alike  children  of  our  great 
father,  the  King  of  France,  and  it  is  hard  to  fight  among  brethren 
for  the  sake  of  dogs.  But  there  is  no  choice.  Look  upon  the 
belt,  and  let  us  hear  your  answer." 


?  / 


MASSACRE  AT  FORT  MACKINAC. 


SI 


CHAPTER  IV. 


MASSACRE  AT  FORT  MACKINAC. 


m 
m 


THE  following  description  of  Michilimackinac  is  taken  from 
Mr.  Parkman's  very  excellent  work  entitled  "  History  of 
the  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac."  "  It  is  drawn,"  says  the  writer 
"  from  traditional  accounts,  aided  by  a  personal  examination  of 
the  spot,  where  the  stumps  of  the  pickets  and  the  foundations 
of  the  houses  may  still  be  traced." 

"In  the  Spring  of  the  year  1763,  before  the  war  broke  out, 
several  English  traders  went  up  to  Michilimackinac,  some  adopt- 
ing the  old  route  of  the  Ottawa,  and  others  that  of  Detroit  and 
the  lakes.  We  will  follow  one  of  the  latter  on  his  adventurous 
progress.  Passing  the  fort  and  settlement  of  Detroit,  he  soon 
enters  Lake  St.  Clair,  which  seems  like  a  broad  basin  filled  to 
overflowing,  while,  along  its  far-distant  verge,  a  faint  line  of 
forest  separates  the  water  from  the  sky.  He  crosses  the  lake, 
and  his  voyageurs  next  urge  his  cxnoe  against  the  current  of 
the  great  river  above.  At  length  Lake  Huron  opens  before 
him,  stretching  its  liquid  expanse,  like  an  ocean,  to  the  farthest 
horizon.  His  canoe  skirts  the  eastern  shore  of  Michigan,  where 
the  forest  rises  like  a  wall  from  the  water's  edge ;  and  as  he 
advances  northward,  an  endless  line  of  stiff  and  shaggy  fir-trees, 
hung  with  long  mosses,  fringes  the  shore  with  an  aspect  of  a 
monotonous  desolation.  In  the  space  of  two  or  three  weeks,  if 
his  Canadians  labor  well,  and  no  accident  occurs,  the  trader 
approaches  the  end  of  his  voyage.  Passing  on  his  right  the  ex- 
tensive island  of  Bois  Blanc,  he  sees,  nearly  in  front,  the  beau 
tiful  island  of  Mackinac — rising,  with  its  white  clifis  and  green 
foliage,  from  the  broad  breast  of  the  waters.     He  does  not  steer 


il 


m 


m 


1 1 


S4 


OLD  AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 


!!1L' 


toward  it,  for  at  that  day  the  Indians  were  its  only  tenants ;  but 
keeps  along  the  main  shore  to  the  left,  while  his  voyageurs  raise 
tlieir  song  and  chorus.  Doubling  a  point,  he  sees  before  him  the 
red  flag  of  England  swelling  lazily  in  the  wind,  and  the  palisades 
and  wooden  bastions  of  Fort  Michiliniackinac,  standing  close 
upon  the  margin  of  the  lake.  On  the  beach,  canoes  are  drawn 
up,  and  Canadians  and  Indians  are  idly  lounging.  A  little 
beyond  the  fort  is  a  cluster  of  the  white  Canadian  houses,  roofed 
with  bark,  and  protected  by  fences  of  strong  round  pickets. 

"The  trader  enters  at  the  gate,  and  sees  before  him  an  ex- 
tensive square  area,  surrounded  by  high  palisades.  Numerous 
houses,  barracks,  and  other  buildings  form  a  smaller  square 
within,  and  in  the  vacant  space  which  they  inclose  appear  the 
red  uniforms  of  British  soldiers,  the  gray  coats  of  Canadians, 
and  the  gaudy  Indian  blankets,  mingled  in  picturesque  confusion, 
while  a  multitude  of  squaws,  with  children  of  every  hue,  stroll 
restlessly  about  the  place.  Such  was  Fort  Michilimackinac  in 
1763.  Its  name,  which  in  the  Algonquin  tongue  signifies  the 
Great  Turtle,  was  first,  from  a  fancied  resemblance,  applied  to 
the  neighboring  island,  and  thence  to  the  fort. 

"Though  buried  in  a  wilderness,  Michilimackinac  was  still  of 
no  recent  origin.  As  early  as  167 1,  the  Jesuits  had  established  a 
mission  near  the  place,  and  a  military  force  was  not  long  in  fol- 
lowing ;  for  under  the  French  dominion  the  priest  and  the  soldier 
went  hand  in  hand.  Neither  toil  nor  suffering,  nor  all  the 
tenors  of  the  wilderness,  could  damp  the  zeal  of  the  undaunted 
inissioPiary ;  and  the  restless  ambition  of  France  was  always  on 
tile  alert  to  seize  every  point  of  advantage,  and  avail  itself  of 
every  means  to  gain  ascendancy  over  the  forest  tribes.  Besides 
Michilimackinac,  there  were  two  other  posts  in  this  northern 
region — Green  Bay  and  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie.  Both  were  founded 
at  an  early  period,  and  both  presented  the  same  characteristic 
features — a  mission  house,  a  fort,  and  a  cluster  of  Canadian 
dwellings.  'I'hey  liad  l)een  originally  garrisoned  by  small  parties 
of  militia,  who,  bringing  th':ir  families  with  them,  settled  on  the 
■not-  and  were  foiuiders  of  these  little  colonies,     Michilimack- 


I  I 


MASSACRE    AT   FOHT   MACKmAC. 


55 


inac,  much  the  largest  of  (he  three,  contained  tliiity  families  with- 
in the  palisades  of  the  fort,  and  about  as  many  more  without. 
Besides  its  military  value,  it  was  important  as  a  center  of  the  fur- 
trade  ;  for  it  was  here  that  the  traders  engaged  their  men,  and 
sent  out  their  goods  in  canoes,  under  the  charge  of  subor- 
dinates, to  the  more  distant  regions  of  the  Mississippi  and  the 
North-west. 

"The  Indians  near  Michilimackinac  were  the  Ojibwas  and 
Ottawas,  the  former  of  whom  claimed  the  eastern  section  of  Mich- 
igan, and  the  latter  the  western,  their  respective  portions  being 
separated  by  a  line  drawn  southward  from  the  fort  itself.  The 
principal  village  of  the  Ojibwas  contained  about  a  hundred 
warriors,  and  stood  upon  the  island  of  Michilimackinac,  now 
called  Mackinac.  There  was  another  smaller  village  near  the 
head  of  Tiuuider  Bay.  The  Ottawas,  to  the  number  of  two 
Inmdrcd  and  fifty  warriors,  lived  at  the  settlement  of  L'Arbre 
Croche,  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  some  distance  south- 
west of  the  fort.  This  place  was  then  the  seat  of  the  old  Jesuit 
Mission  of  St.  Ignace,  originally  placed  by  Father  Marquette  on 
(he  northern  side  of  the  straits.  Many  of  the  Ottawas  were 
nominal  Catholics.  They  were  all  somewhat  improved  from 
their  original  savage  condition,  living  in  log-houses,  and  culti- 
vating corn  and  vegetables  to  such  an  extent  as  to  supply  the 
fort  with  provision,  bcsic'es  satisfying  their  own  wants.  The 
Ojibwas,  on  the  other  hand,  were  not  in  the  least  degree  re- 
moved from  their  primitive  barbarism." 

At  this  time  both  these  tribes  had  received  from  Pontiac  the 
war-belt  of  black  and  purple  wampum,  and  the  painted  hatchet, 
and  had  pledged  themselves  to  join  in  the  contest.  Before  the 
end  of  May  the  Ojibwas  or  Chippcwas  received  word  that  the 
blow  had  already  been  struck  at  Detroit,  and,  wrought  up  to  tne 
highest  pitch  of  excitement  and  emulation,  resolved  that  peace 
should  last  no  longer.  Eager  to  reap  all  the  glory  of  the  victory, 
or  prompted  by  jealousy,  this  tribe  neither  communicated  to  the 
Ottawas  the  news  which  had  come  to  them,  nor  their  own  reso- 
lution to    maku   an    immediate    assault    'ir.on   Mirhilimacki.iac. 


^■a\ 


w 


56 


OLD   AND    NEW    MACKINAC. 


illlL 


Hence  tht  Ottawas,  as  we  shall  also  learn  from  Henry's  account, 
had  no  part  in  that  bloody  tragedy.  There  were  other  tribes, 
however,  which,  attracted  by  rumors  of  impending  war,  had 
gathered  at  Michilimackinac,  and  which  took  part  in  the 
struggle. 

There  is  a  discrepancy  between  the  official  report  of  Captain 
Ethrington,  Commander  of  the  post,  and  Henry's  statement, — 
the  former  making  the  garrison  to  consist  of  thirty-five  men, 
with  their  officers;  and  the  latter,  as  we  shall  see,  of  ninety. 
We  give  the  reader  the  facts  just  as  we  find  them  recorded, 
leaving  him  to  reconcile  this  difference  in  his  own  way.  Per- 
haps, as  Parkman  suggests,  Henry  intended  to  include,  in  his 
enumeration,  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  fort,  both  soldiers  and 
Canadians. 

We  left  Henry  at  the  moment  of  his  arrival  at  the  fort. 
We  must  now  allow  him  to  go  on  with  his  story ;  for  he  is  far 
better  qualified  for  that  task  than  we  are : 

"When  I  reached  Michilimackinac,  I  found  several  other 
traders  who  had  arrived  before  me,  from  different  parts  of  the 
country,  and  who,  in  general,  declared  the  disposition  of  the 
Indians  to  be  hostile  to  the  English,  and  even  apprehended 
some  attack.  M.  Laurent  Duchaime  distinctly  informed  Major 
Ethrington  that  a  plan  was  absolutely  conceived  for  destroying 
him,  his  garrison,  and  all  the  English  in  the  upper  country; 
but  the  commandant,  believing  this  and  other  reports  to  be 
without  foundation,  proceeding  only  from  idle  or  ill-disposed 
persons,  and  of  a  tendency  to  do  mischief,  expressed  much  dis- 
pleasure against  M.  Ducharme,  and  threatened  to  send  the  next 
person  who  should  bring  a  story  of  the  same  kind  a  prisoner  to 
Detroit. 

"The  garrison  at  this  time  consisted  of  ninety  privates, 
two  jubalterns,  and  the  commandant,  and  the  English  mer- 
chants at  the  fort  were  four  in  number.  Thus  strong,  few  en- 
tertained anxiety  concerning  the  Indians,  who  had  no  weapons 
but  small  arms. 

"  M«ai,while   the    Indians    from    every   quarter   were   daily 


f    V 


MASSACRE  AT  FORT  MACKINAC. 


57 


assembling  in  usual  numbers,  but  with  every  appearance  of 
iriendship,  frequenting  the  fort  and  disposing  of  their  peltries 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  dissipate  almost  any  one's  fears.  For 
myself,  on  one  occasion  I  took  the  liberty  of  observing  to 
Major  Ethrington  that,  in  my  judgment,  no  confidence  ought 
to  be  placed  in  them,  and  that  I  was  informed  no  less  than 
four  hundred  lay  around  the  fort.  In  return,  the  major  only 
rallied  me  on  my  timidity ;  and  it  is  to  be  confessed  that,  if 
this  officer  neglected  admonition  on  his  part,  so  did  I  on  mine. 
Shortly  after  my  first  arrival  at  Michilimackinac,  in  the  pre- 
ceding year,  a  Chippewa  named  Wa'wa'tam  began  to  come 
often  to  my  house,  betraying  in  his  demeanor  strong  marks  of 
personal  regard.  After  this  had  continued  for  some  time,  he 
came  on  a  certain  day,  bringing  with  him  his  whole  family ; 
and,  at  the  same  time,  a  large  present,  consisting  of  skins, 
sugar,  and  dried  meat.  Having  laid  these  in  a  heap,  he  com- 
menced a  speech,  in  which  he  informed  me  that,  some  years 
before,  he  had  observed  a  fast,  devoting  himself,  according  to 
the  custom  of  his  nation,  to  solitude  and  the  mortification  of 
his  b'^'^.y,  in  the  hope  to  obtain  from  the  Great  Spirit  protec- 
tion through  all  his  days ;  that,  on  this  occasion,  he  had 
dreamed  of  adopting  an  Englishman  as  his  son,  brother,  and 
friend;  that,  from  the  moment  in  which  he  first  beheld  me,  he 
had  recognized  me  as  the  person  whom  the  Great  Spirit  had 
been  pleased  to  point  out  to  him  lor  a  brother;  that  he  hoped 
that  I  would  not  refuse  his  present,  and  tiat  he  should  forever 
regard  me  as  one  of  his  family. 

"I  could  do  no  otherwise  than  accept  the  present,  and  de- 
clare my  willingness  to  have  so  good  a  man  as  this  appeared 
to  be  for  my  friend  and  brother.  I  oiTered  a  present  in  return 
for  that  which  I  had  received,  which  Wawatam  accepted,  and 
then,  thanking  me  for  the  favor  which  he  said  that  I  had  ren- 
dered him,  he  left  me,  and  soon  after  set  out  on  his  Winter's 
hunt. 

"Twelve  months  had  now  elapsed  since  the  occurrence  of 
this  incident,  and  I  had  almost  forgotten   the  person  of  my 


m 


'1 


58 


OLD    AND    NEW    MACKINAC. 


brother,  when,  on  the  second  day  of  June,  Wawatam  came 
again  to  my  house,  in  a  temper  of  mind  visibly  melancholy 
and  thoughtful.  He  told  me  that  he  nad  just  returned  from 
his  wintering-ground^  and  I  asked  after  his  health  ;  hut,  without 
answering  my  question,  he  went  on  to  say  that  he  was  very 
sorry  to  find  me  returned  from  the  Sault ;  that  he  had  intended 
to  go  to  that  place  himself,  immediately  after  his  arrival  at 
Michilimackinac ;  and  that  he  wished  me  to  go  there  along 
with  him  and  his  family  the  next  morning.  To  all  this  he 
joined  an  inquiry  whether  or  not  the  commandant  had  heard 
bad  news,  adding  that,  during  the  Winter,  he  had  himself  been 
frequently  disturbed  with  the  noise  of  evil  birds;  and  further 
sugpfosting  that  theie  were  numerous  Indians  near  the  fort, 
many  of  whom  had  never  shown  themselves  within  it.  Wawa- 
tam was  about  forty-five  years  of  age,  of  an  excellent  character 
among  his  nation,  and  a  chief. 

"  Referring  much  of  what  I  heard  to  the  peculiarities  of  the 
Indian  character,  I  did  not  pay  all  the  attention  which  they 
will  be  found  to  have  deserved  to  the  entreaties  and  remarks 
of  my  visitor.  I  answered  that  I  could  not  think  of  going  to 
the  Sault  so  soon  as  the  next  morning,  but  would  follow  him 
there  after  the  arrival  of  my  clerks.  Poinding  himself  unable  to 
prevail  with  me,  he  withdrew  for  that  day ;  but  early  the  next 
morning  he  came_  again,  bringing  with  him  his  wife  and  a 
present  of  dried  meat.  At  this  interview,  after  stating  that  he 
had  several  packs  of  beaver,  for  which  he  intended  to  deal 
with  me,  he  expre.  sed  a  second  time  his  apprehensions  from 
I  lie  numerous  Indians  who  were  around  the  fort,  and  earnestly 
pressed  me  to  consent  to  an  immediate  departure  for  the  Sault. 
As  a  reason  for  this  particular  request,  he  assured  me  that  all 
the  Indians  proposed  to  come  in  a  body  that  day  to  the  fort, 
to  demand  liquor  of  the  commandant,  and  that  he  wished  me 
to  be  gone  before  they  should  grow  intoxicated.  I  had  made, 
at  the  period  to  which  I  am  now  referring,  so  much  progress 
in  the  l.nnguage  in  which  Wawatam  addressed  me,  as  to  be  able 
to  hold  an  ordinary  conversation  in  it;  but  the  Indian  manner 


MASSACRE  AT   FORT  MACKINAC. 


59 


of  speech  is  so  extravagantly  figurative,  that  it  is  only  for  a 
ve.^  perfect  master  to  follow  and  comprehend  it  entirely.  Had 
I  been  further  advanced  in  this  respect,  I  think  that  I  should 
have  gathered  so  much  information  from  this,  my  frie  dly 
monitoi,  as  would  have  ;)ut  me  into  possession  of  the  designs 
of  the  enemy,  and  enabled  me  to  save  others  as  well  as  myself; 
as  it  was,  it  unfortunately  happened  that  I  turned  a  deaf  ear 
to  every  thing,  leaving  Wawatam  and  his  wife,  after  long  and 
patieni,  but  ineffectual  efforts,  to  depart  alone,  with  dejected 
countenances,  and  not  before  they  had  each  let  fall  some  tears. 

"  In  the  course  of  the  same  day,  I  observed  that  the  Indians 
came  in  great  numbers  into  the  fort,  purchasing  tomahawks 
Ismail  axes  of  one  pound  weight),  and  frequently  desiring  to 
see  silver  arm-ban'.ls,  and  other  valuable  ornaments,  of  which 
I  had  a  large  quantity  for  sale.  These  ornaments,  however, 
they  in  no  instance  purchased;  but,  after  turning  them  over, 
left  them,  saying  that  they  would  call  again  the  next  day. 
Their  motive,  as  it  afterward  appeared,  was  no  other  than  the 
very  artful  one  of  discovering,  by  requesting  to  see  them,  the 
particular  places  of  their  deposit,  so  that  they  might  lay  their 
hands  on  them,  in  the  moment  of  pillage,  with  the  greater 
certainty  and  dispatch. 

"At  night  I  turned  in  my  mind  the  visits  of  Wawatam ;  but, 
though  they  were  calculated  to  excite  uneasiness,  nothing 
induced  me  to  believe  that  serious  mischief  was  at  hand. 

"The  next  day,  being  the  4th  of  June,  was  the  king's 
birthday.  The  morning  was  sultry.  A  Chippewa  came  to  tell 
me  that  his  nation  was  going  to  play  at  bag'gat'iwr.y,  with  the 
S;.'cs  or  Saakies,  another  Indian  nation,  for  a  high  wager.  He 
in>  ited  me  to  witness  the  sport,  adding  that  the  commandant 
was  to  be  there,  and  would  be  on  the  side  of  the  Chippewas. 
In  consequence  of  this  information,  I  went  to  the  command- 
ant, and  expo.stulated  with  him  a  litde,  representing  that  the 
Indians  might  possibly  have  some  sinister  end  in  view ;  but 
the  commandant  only  smiled  at  my  suspicions." 

The  game  of  baggatiway,  which  the  Indians  phiyef'  upon 


Mhw 


ri  ■ ! 

m 


6o 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC, 


that  memorable  occasion,  was  the  most  exciting  sport  in  which 
the  red  man  could  engage.  It  was  played  with  bat  and  ball. 
The  bat,  so  called,  was  about  four  feet  in  length,  and  an  inch 
in  diameter.  It  was  made  of  the  toughest  material  that  could 
be  found.  A.*^  one  end  it  was  curved,  and  terminated  in  a  sort 
of  racket,  or  perhaps  more  properly  a  ring,  in  which  a  net- 
work of  cord  was  loosely  woven.  The  players  were  not  allowed 
to  touch  the  ball  wi' h  the  hand,  but  caught  it  in  this  network 
at  the  end  of  the  bat.  At  either  end  of  the  ground  a  tall  lost 
was  planted.  These  posts  marked  the  stations  of  the  rival 
parties,  and  were  sometimes  a  mile  apart.  The  object  of  each 
party  was  to  defend  its  own  post  ari  carry  the  ball  to  that  of 
the  adversary. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  game  the  main  body  of  the  players 
assemble  half-way  between  the  two  posts.  Every  eye  sparkles 
and  every  cheek  is  already  aglow  with  excitement.  The  ball  is 
tossed  high  into  the  air,  and  a  general  struggle  ensues  to  secure  it 
as  it  descends.  He  who  succeeds  starts  for  the  goal  of  the  adver 
saiy  holding  it  high  above  his  head.  The  opposite  party,  with  merry 
yells,  are  swift  to  pursue.  His  course  is  intercepted,  and  rather 
than  see  the  ball  taken  from  him,  he  throws  it,  as  the  boy  throws 
a  stone  from  a  sling,  as  far  toward  the  goal  of  the  adversary  as 
he  can.  An  adversary  in  the  game  catches  it,  and  sends  it 
whizzing  back  in  the  opposite  direction.  Hither  and  thither  it 
goes ;  now  far  to  the  right,  now  as  (ar  to  the  left ;  now  near  to 
•:he  one,  now  as  near  to  the  other  goal  ;  the  whole  band  crowding 
continually  after  it  in  the  wildest  confusion,  until,  finally,  some 
agile  figure,  more  fleet  of  foot  than  others,  succeeds  in  bearing  it 
to  the  goal  of  the  opposite  party. 

Persons  now  living  upon  this  island,  who  have  frequently 
seen  this  game  played  by  the  Indians,  and  themselves  partici- 
pated in  it,  inform  the  writer  that  often  a  whole  day  is  insufficient 
to  decide  the  contest.  When  such  is  the  case,  the  following  day 
is  taken,  and  the  game  begun  anew.  As  many  as  six  or  seven  hun- 
dred Indians  sometimes  engage  in  a  single  game,  while  it  may  be 
played  by  fifty.     In  the  heat  of  the  contest,  when  all  are  running 


*., 


MASSACRE  AT  FORT  MACKINAC. 


6l 


at  their  greatest  speed,  if  one  stumbles  and  fiiUs,  fifty  or  a  hun- 
dred, who  are  in  close  pursuit  and  unable  to  stop,  pile  over  him 
forming  a  mound  of  human  bodies ;  and  frequently  players  are 
30  bruised  as  to  be  unable  to  proceed  in  the  game. 

This  game,  with  its  attendant  noise  and  violence,  was  well 
calculated  to  divert  the  attention  of  officers  and  men,  and  thus 
permit  the  Indians  to  take  possession  of  the  fort.  To  make 
their  success  more  certain,  they  prevailed  upon  as  many  as  they 
could  to  come  out  of  the  fort,  while  at  the  same  time  their  squaws 
wrapped  in  blankets,  beneath  which  they  concealed  the  murder- 
ous weapons,  were  placed  inside  the  inclosure.  The  plot  was  so 
ingeniously  laid  that  no  one  suspected  danger.  The  discipline 
of  the  garrison  was  relaxed,  and  the  soldiers  permitted  to  stroll 
about  and  view  the  sport,  without  weapons  of  defense.  And  even 
when  the  bail,  as  if  by  chance,  was  lifted  high  in  the  air,  to 
descend  inside  the  pickets,  and  was  followed  by  four  hundred 
savages,  all  eager,  all  strugj^ling,  all  shouting,  in  the  unrestrained 
pursuit  of  a  rude,  athletic  exercise,  no  alarm  was  felt  until  the 
shrill  war-whoop  told  the  startled  garrison  that  the  slaughter  had 
actually  begun. 

Heniy  continues  :  "  I  did  not  go  myself  to  see  the  match 
which  was  now  to  be  played  without  the  fort,  because,  there 
being  a  canoe  prepared  to  depart  on  the  following  day,  for 
Montreal,  I  employed  myself  in  writing  letters  to  my  friends ; 
and  even  when  a  fellow-trader,  Mr.  Tracy,  happened  to  call  upon 
me,  saying  that  another  canoe  had  just  arrived  from  Detroit,  and 
proposing  that  I  s^"^"M  go  with  him  to  the  beach,  to  inquire  the 
news,  it  so  happened  that  I  still  remained,  to  finish  my  letters, 
promising  to  follow  Mr.  Tracy  in  the  course  of  a  few  minutes. 
Mr.  Tracy  had  not  gone  more  than  twenty  paces  from  my  door, 
when  I  heard  an  Indian  war-cry,  and  a  noise  of  general  con- 
fusion. Going  instantly  to  my  window,  I  saw  a  crowd  of  In- 
dians, within  the  fort,  furiously  cutting  down  and  scalping  every 
Englishman  they  found.  In  particular  I  witnessed  the  fate  of 
Lieutenant  Jemette. 

"  I  had,  in  the  room  in  which  I  was,  a  fowling-piece,  loaded 


V* 


■V; 


,  > .  1 


]■:' 


68 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


with  swan-shot.  This  I  immediately  seized,  and  held  it  for  a 
few  minutes,  waiting  to  hear  the  drum  beat  to  arms.  In  this 
dreadful  interval  I  saw  several  of  my  countrymen  fiill,  and  more 
than  one  struggling  between  the  knees  of  an  Indian,  who,  hold- 
ing him  in  this  manner,  scalped  him  while  yet  living. 

"  At  length,  disappointed  in  the  hope  of  .seeing  resistance 
made  to  the  enemy,  and  sensible,  of  oourse,  that  no  effort  of  my 
own  unassisted  arm  could  avail  against  four  hundred  Indians,  I 
thought  okily  of  seeking  shelter.  Amid  the  slaughter  which  was' 
raging,  I  observed  mony  of  the  Canadian  inhabitants  of  the  fort 
calmly  looking  on,  neither  opposing  the  Indians  nor  suffering 
injury  ;  and,  from  this  circumstance,  I  conceived  a  hope  of 
finding  security  in  their  houses. 

"Between  the  yard-door  of  my  own  house  and  of  M.  Lang- 
lade, my  next  neighbor,  there  was  only  a  low  fence,  over  which 
I  easily  climbed  At  my  entrance  I  found  the  whole  family 
at  the  windows,  gazing  at  the  scene  of  blood  before  them.  I 
addressed  myself  immediately  to  M.  Langlade,  begging  that  he 
would  put  me  into  some  place  of  safety  until  the  heat  of  the 
affair  should  be  over,  an  act  of  charity  by  which  he  might  per- 
haps preserve  me  from  the  general  massacre  ;  but,  while  I  uttered 
my  petition,  M.  Langlade,  who  had  looked  for  a  moment  at  me, 
turned  again  to  the  window,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  and  inti- 
mating that  he  could  do  nothing  for  me :  '  Que  voudriez — vous 
que  fen  ferais  1 ' 

"  This  was  a  moment  for  despair ;  but,  the  next,  a  Pani  wo- 
man, a  slave  of  M.  Langlade,  beckoned  me  to  follow  her.  She 
brought  me  to  a  door,  which  she  opened,  desiring  me  to  enter, 
and  telling  me  that  it  led  to  the  garret,  where  I  must  go  and 
conceal  myself.  I  joyfully  obeyed  her  directions ;  and  she,  hav- 
ing followed  me  up  to  the  garret  door,  locked  it  after  me,  and 
with  great  presence  of  mind  took  away  the  key. 

"This  shelter  obtained,  if  shelter  I  could  hope  to  find  it,  I 
was  naturally  anxious  to  know  what  might  still  be  passing  with- 
out. Through  an  aperture,  which  afforded  me  a  view  of  the 
^<^.  of  the  fort,  I  beheld,  in  shapes  the  foulest  and  most  terrible, 


'/'.".■.,. 


MASSACRE   AT  FORT   MACKINAC. 


63 


the  ferocious  triumphs  of  barbarian  conquerors.  The  dead  were 
scalped  and  mangled  ;  the  dying  were  writhing  and  shrieking, 
under  the  unsatiated  knife  and  tomahawk ;  and,  from  the  bodies 
of  some,  ripped  open,  their  butchers  were  drinking  the  blood, 
scooped  up  in  the  hollow  of  joined  hands,  and  quaffed  amid 
shouts  of  rage  and  victory.  I  was  shaken,  not  only  with  horror, 
but  with  fear.  The  sufferings  which  I  witnessed,  I  seemed  on 
the  point  of  experiencing.  No  long  time  elapsed  before,  every 
one  being  destroyed  who  could  be  found,  there  was  a  general 
cry  of  'All  is  finished!'  At  the  same  instant  I  heard  some  of 
the  Indians  enter  the  house  in  wh:',h  I  was.  The  garret  was 
separated  from  the  room  below  only  by  a  layer  of  single  boards, 
at  once  the  flooring  of  the  one  and  the  ceiling  of  the  other.  I 
couid  therefore  hear  every  thing  that  passed  ;  and  the  Indians 
no  sooner  came  in  than  they  inquired  whether  or  not  any 
Englishmen  were  in  the  house.  M.  Langlade  replied,  that 
'he  could  not  say;'  he  'did  not  know  of  ?ny, ' — answers  in 
which  he  did  not  exceed  the  truth  ;  for  the  Puni  woman  had  not 
only  hidden  me  by  steai'h,  but  kept  my  secret,  and  her  own.  M. 
Langlade  was  therefore,  os  I  presume,  as  far  from  a  wish  to 
destroy  me  as  he  was  careless  about  saving  me,  when  he  added 
to  these  answers,  that  '  they  might  examine  for  themselves,  and 
would  soon  be  satisfied  as  to  the  object  of  their  question.' 
Saying  this,  he  brougiit  them  to  the  garret  door, 

"The  state  of  my  mind  will  be  imagined.  Arrived  at  the 
door,  some  delay  was  occasioned  by  the  absence  of  the  key,  and 
a  few  moments  were  thus  allowed  me  in  which  to  look  around 
me  for  a  hiding  place.  In  one  corner  of  the  garret  was  a  heap 
of  those  vessels  of  birch  bark  used  in  maple-sugar  making,  as  I 
have  recently  described. 

"  The  door  was  unlocked,  and  opening,  and  the  Indians  as- 
cending the  stairs,  before  I  had  completely  crept  into  a  small 
opening  which  presented  itself  <it  one  end  of  the  heap.  An 
instant  later  four  Indians  entered  the  room,  all  argued  with  tom- 
ahawks, and  all  besmeared  with  blood  upon  every  part  of  their 
bodies. 


64 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


"  The  die  appeared  to  be  cast.  I  could  scarcely  breathe,  but 
I  thought  that  the  throbbing  of  my  heart  occasioned  a  noise 
loud  enough  to  betray  me.  The  Indians  walked  in  every  direc- 
tion about  the  garret,  and  one  of  them  approached  me  so  closely 
that  at  a  particular  moment  had  he  put  forth  his  hand  he  must 
have  touched  me.  Still  I  remained  undiscovered,  a  circum- 
stance to  which  the  dark  or  of  my  clothes,  and  the  want  of 
light  in  a  room  which  had  no  window,  and  in  the  corner  in  which 
I  was,  must  have  contributed.  In  a  word,  after  taking  several 
turns  in  the  room,  during  which  they  told  M.  Langlade  how 
many  they  had  killed,  and  how  many  scalps  they  had  taken,  they 
returned  down  stairs,  and  I,  with  sensations  not  to  be  expressed, 
heard  the  door,  which  was  the  barrier  between  me  and  ray  fate, 
locked  for  the  second  time. 

"  There  was  a  feather-bed  on  the  floor,  and  on  this,  exhausted 
as  I  was  by  the  agitation  of  my  mind,  I  threw  myself  down  and 
fell  asleep.  In  this  state  I  remained  till  the  dark  of  the  evening, 
when  I  was  awakened  by  a  second  opening  of  the  door.  The 
person  that  now  entered  was  M.  Langlade's  wife,  who  was  much 
surprised  at  finding  me,  but  advised  me  not  lo  be  uneasy,  ob- 
serving that  tlie  Indians  had  killed  most  of  the  English,  but  that 
she  hoped  I  might  myself  escape.  A  shower  of  rain  having 
begun  to  fall,  she  had  come  to  stop  a  hole  in  the  roof.  On  her 
going  away,  I  begged  her  to  send  me  a  little  water  to  drink, 
which  she  did. 

"  As  night  was  now  advancing,  I  continued  to  lie  on  the  bed, 
ruminating  on  my  condition,  but  unable  to  discover  a  source 
from  which  I  could  hope  for  life.  A  flight  to  Detroit  had  no 
probable  chance  of  success.  The  distance,  from  Michilimack- 
inac  was  four  hundred  miles ;  I  was  without  provisions ;  and 
the  whole  length  of  the  road  lay  through  Indian  countries, 
countries  of  an  enemy  in  arms,  where  the  first  man  whom  I 
should  meet  would  kill  me.  To  stay  where  I  was,  threatened 
nearly  the  same  issue.  As  before,  fatigue  of  mind,  and  not 
tranquillity,  suspended  my  cares,  and  procured  me  further  sleep. 

"  The  respite  which  sleep  aflbrded  me,  during  the  night,  was 


■5:  . 


MASSACRE  AT  FORT  MACKINAC. 


65 


put  to  an  end  by  the  return  of  morning.  I  was  again  on  the 
rack  of  apprehension.  At  sunrise  I  heard  the  family  stirring, 
and,  presently  after,  Indian  voices,  informing  M.  Langlade  that 
they  haa  not  found  my  hapless  self  among  the  dead,  and  that 
they  supposed  me  to  be  somewhere  concealed.  M.  Langlade 
appeared,  from  what  followed,  to  be,  by  thi;i  time,  acquainted 
with  the  place  of  my  retreat,  of  which  no  doubt  he  had  been 
informed  by  his  wife.  The  poor  woman,  as  soon  as  the  Indians 
mentioned  me,  declared  to  her  husband.,  in  the  French  tongue, 
that  he  should  no  longer  keep  me  in  his  house,  but  deliver  me 
up  to  my  pursuers;  giving  as  a  reason  for  tbii  measure,  that 
should  the  Indians  discover  his  instrumenta'iy  in  my  conceal- 
ment, they  might  avenge  it  on  her  children,  and  that  it  was  better 
that  I  should  die  than  they.  M.  Lar^!<i.c;e  resisted,  at  fust,  this 
sentence  of  his  wife's,  but  soon  suffer..d  her  to  prevail,  informing 
the  Indians  that  he  had  been  told  I  was  in  the'  house,  ihat 
I  had  come  there  without  his  knowledge,  and  that  he  would 
put  me  into  their  hands.  This  was  no  sooner  expressed  than  he 
began  to  ascend  the  stairs,  the  Indians  following  upon  his 
heels. 

"  I  now  resigned  myself  to  the  fate  with  which  I  was 
menaced  ;  and,  regarding  every  attempt  at  concealment  as  vain, 
I  arose  from  the  bed,  and  presented  myself  full  in  view  to  the 
Indians  who  were  enteringf  the  room.  They  were  all  in  a  state 
of  intoxication,  and  ei.i:;>'y  naked,  except  about  the  middle. 
One  of  them,  named,  Wenniway,  whom  I  had  previously  known, 
and  who  was  upward  of  six  feet  in  height,  had  his  entire  face  and 
body  covered  with  charcoal  and  grease,  only  that  a  white  spot  of 
two  inches  in  diameter  encircli^d  either  eye.  This  man,  walking 
up  to  me,  seized  me  with  one  hand  by  the  collar  of  the  coat, 
while  in  the  other  he  held  a  large  carving-knife,  as  if  to  plunge 
it  into  my  breast ;  his  eyes,  meanwhile,  were  fixed  steadfastly  on 
mine.  At  length,  after  some  seconds  of  the  most  anxious  sus- 
pense, he  dropped  his  arm,  saying,  *  I  won't  kill  you  I'  To 
this  he  added,  that  he  had  been  frequently  engaged  in  wars 
against  the  English,  and  had  brought  away  many  scalps ;  that, 


|t 


Ml 


?.-! 


19 1;  j 


'4 


m 


I  I 


66 


OLD   AND   NEW  MACKINAC. 


on  a  certain  occasion,  he  had  lost  a  brother  whose  name  was 
Musinigon,  and  that  I  should  be  called  after  him. 

"  A  reprieve,  upon  any  terms,  placed  me  among  the  living, 
and  gave  me  back  the  sustaining  voice  of  hope  ;  but  Wenniway 
ordered  me  down-stairs,  and  there  informing  me  that  I  was  to  be 
taken  to  his  cabin,  where,  and  indeed  every-where  else,  the  Indians 
were  all  mad  with  liquor,  death  again  was  threatened,  and  not  as 
possible  only,  but  as  certain.  I  mentioned  my  fears  on  this  subject 
to  M.  Langlade,  begging  him  to  represent  the  danger  to  my  mas- 
ter. M.  Langlade,  in  this  instance,  did  not  withhold  his  compas- 
sion, and  Wenniway  immediately  consented  that  I  should  remain 
where  I  was,  until  he  found  another  opportunity  to  take  me  away. 

"  Thus  far  secure,  I  reascended  my  garret  stairs,  in  order  to 
place  myself  the  farthest  possible  out  of  the  reach  of  insult 
from  drunken  Indians ;  but  I  had  not  remained  there  more  than 
an  hour,  when  I  was  called  to  the  room  below,  in  which  was  an 
Indian,  who  said  that  I  must  go  with  him  out  of  the  fort, 
Wenniway  having  sent  him  to  fetch  me.  This  man,  as  well  as 
Wenniway  himself,  I  had  seen  before.  In  the  preceding  year  I 
had  allowed  him  to  take  goods  on  credit,  for  which  he  was  still 
in  my  debt ;  and,  some  short  time  previous  to  the  surprise  of 
the  fort,  he  had  said,  upon  my  upbraiding  him  with  want  of  hon- 
esty, that  '  he  would  pay  me  before  long  1'  This  speech  now 
came  fresh  into  my  memory,  and  led  me  to  suspect  that  the 
fellow  had  formed  a  design  against  my  life.  I  communicated  the 
suspicion  to  M.  Langlade  ;  but  he  gave  for  answer,  that  I  was  not 
my  own  master,  and  must  do  as  I  was  ordered. 

"  The  Indian,  on  his  part,  directed  that  before  I  left  the 
house  I  should  undress  myself,  declaring  that  my  coat  and  shirt 
would  become  him  better  than  they  did  me.  His  pleasure,  in 
this  respect,  being  complied  with,  no  other  alternative  was  left 
me  than  either  to  go  out  naked,  or  to  put  on  the  clothes  of  the 
Indian,  which  he  freely  gave  me  in  exchange.  His  motive  for 
thus  stripping  me  of  my  own  apparel,  was  no  other,  as  I  after- 
ward learned,  than  this,  that  it  might  not  be  stained  with  blood 
when  he  should  kill  me. 


MASSACRE  AT  FORT  MACKINAC. 


67 


"  I  was  now  told  to  proceed ;  and  my  driver  followed  me  close 
until  I  had  passed  the  gate  of  the  fort,  when  I  turned  toward 
the  spot  where  I  knew  the  Indians  to  be  encamped.  This,  how- 
ever, did  not  suit  the  purpose  of  my  enemy,  who  seize^  me  by 
the  arm,  and  drew  me  violently  in  the  opposite  direction,  to  the 
distance  of  fifty  yards  above  the  fort.  Here,  finding  that  I  was 
approaching  the  bushes  and  sand-hills,  I  determined  to  proceed 
no  farther ;  but  told  the  Indian  that  I  believed  he  meant  to  mur- 
der me,  and  that  if  so,  he  might  as  well  strike  where  I  was  as  at 
any  greater  distance.  He  replied,  with  coolness,  that  my  suspi- 
cions were  just,  and  that  he  meant  to  pay  me  in  this  manner  for 
my  goods.  At  the  same  time  he  produced  a  knif'^,  and  held  me 
in  a  position  to  receive  the  intended  blow.  Both  this,  and  that 
which  followed,  were  necessarily  the  affair  of  p  moment.  By 
some  effort,  too  sudden  and  too  little  dependent  on  thought  to 
be  explained  or  remembered,  I  was  enabled  to  arrest  his  arm 
and  give  him  a  sudden  push,  by  which  I  turned  him  from  me, 
and  released  myself  from  his  grasp.  This  was  no  sooner  done, 
than  I  ran  toward  the  fort  with  all  the  swiftness  in  my  power, 
the  Indian  following  me,  and  I  expecting  every  moment  to  feel 
his  knife.  I  succeeded  in  my  flight,  and,  on  entering  the  fort,  I 
saw  Wenniway  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  area,  and  to  htm  I 
hastened  for  protection.  Wenniway  desired  the  Indian  to  desist ; 
but  the  latter  pursued  me  around  him,  making  several  strokes  at 
me  with  his  knife,  and  foaming  at  the  mouth,  wilh  rage  at  the 
repeated  failure  of  his  purpose.  At  length  Wenniway  drew  near 
to  M.  Langlade's  house,  and,  the  door  being  open,  I  ran  into  it. 
The  Indian  followed  me  ;  but  on  my  entering  the  house,  he  vol- 
untarily abandoned  the  pursuit. 

"Preserved  so  often  and  so  unexpectedly,  as  it  had  now 
been  my  lot  to  be,  I  returned  to  my  garret  with  a  strong  incli- 
nation to  believe  that,  through  the  will  of  an  overruling  power, 
no  Indian  enemy  could  do  me  hurt ;  but  new  trials,  as  I  believed, 
were  at  hand,  when,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  I  was  aroused 
from  steep  and  once  more  desired  to  descend  the  stairs.  Not 
less,  however,  to  my  satisfaction  than  surprise,  I  was  sumrooaeQ 


i 


ill 


Id 


? 


iRi-li 


68 


OLD  AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 


only  to  meet  Major  Ethrington,  Mr.  Bostwick,  and  Lieutenant 
Lesslie,  who  were  in  the  room  below.  These  gentlemen  had 
been  taken  prisoners,  while  looking  at  the  game  without  the  fort, 
and  immediately  stripped  of  all  their  clothes.  They  were  now 
sent  into  the  fort,  under  the  charge  of  Canadians,  because,  the 
Indians  having  resolved  on  getting  drunk,  the  chiefs  were  appre- 
hensive that  they  would  be  murdered,  if  they  continued  in  the 
camp.  Lieutenant  Jemette  and  seventy  soldiers  had  been  killed  ; 
and  but  twenty  Englishmen,  including  soldiers,  were  still  alive. 
These  were  all  within  the  fort,  together  with  nearly  three  hun- 
dred Canadians,  belonging  to  the  canoes,  etc. 

"These  being  our  numbers,  myself  and  others  proposed  to 
Major  Etherington  to  make  an  effort  for  regaining  possession 
of  the  fort,  and  maintaining  it  against  the  Indians.  The  Jesuit 
missionary  was  consulted  on  the  project ;  but  he  discouraged  us 
by  his  representations,  not  only  of  the  merciless  treatment 
which  we  must  expect  from  the  Indians,  should  they  regain 
their  superiority,  but  of  the  little  dependence  which  was  to  be 
placed  upon  our  Canadian  auxii!;':i<:s.  Thus  the  fort  and  pris- 
oners remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  though,  through 
the  whole  night,  the  prisoners  and  whites  were  in  actual  posses- 
sion, and  they  were  without  the  gates. 

"That  whole  night,  or  the  greater  part  of  it,  was  passed  in 
mutual  condolence ;  and  my  fellow-prisoners  shared  my  garret. 
In  the  morning,  being  again  called  down,  I  found  my  master, 
Wenniway,  and  was  desired  to  follow  him.  He  led  me  to  a 
small  house  within  the  fort,  where,  in  a  narrow  room,  and 
almost  dark,  I  found  Mr.  Ezekiel  Solomons,  an  Englishman 
from  Detroit,  and  a  soldier,  all  prisoners.  With  these,  I  re- 
mained in  painful  suspense  as  to  the  scene  that  was  next  to 
present  itself,  till  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  when  an  Indian 
arrived,  and  presently  marched  us  to  the  lake-side,  where  a 
canoe  appeared  ready  for  departure,  and  in  which  we  found 
that  we  were  to  embark. 

"Our  voyage,  full  of  doubt  as  it  was,  would  have  coiiK 
menced  immediately,  but  that  one  of  the  Indians,  who  was  to 


] 

MASSACRE   AT  FORT  MACKINAC. 

«s          ■ 

be  of  the  party,  was  absent.  His  arrival  was  to  be  waited  for, 
and  this  occasioned  a  very  long  delay,  during  which  we  were 
exposed  to  a  keen  north-east  wind.  An  old  shirt  was  all  that 
covered  me.  I  suffered  much  from  the  cold,  and  in  this  extrem- 
ity, M.  Langlade  coming  down  to  the  beach,  I  asked  him  for 
a  bbnket,  promising,  if  I  lived,  to  pay  him  for  it  at  any  price 
he  pleased ;  but  the  answer  I  received  was  this,  that  he  could 
let  me  have  no  blanket,  unless  there  were  some  one  to  be 
security  for  the  payment.  For  myself,  he  observed,  I  had  no 
longer  any  property  in  that  country.  I  had  no  more  to  say  to 
M.  Langlade ;  but,  present!  seeing  another  Canadian,  named 
John  Cuchoise,  I  addressed  him  a  similar  request,  and  was  not 
refused.  Naked  as  I  was,  and  rigorous  as  was  the  weather,  but 
for  the  blanket  I  must  have  perished.  At  noon  our  party  was 
all  collected,  the  prisoners  all  embarked,  and  we  steered  for 
the  Isles  du  Castor,  in  Lake  Michigan. 

"The  soldier  who  was  our  companion  in  misfortune  was 
made  fast  to  a  bar  of  the  canoe,  by  a  rope  tied  around  his 
neck,  as  is  the  manner  of  the  Indians  in  transporting  their 
prisoners.  The  rest  were  left  unconnned;  but  a  paddle  was 
put  into  each  of  our  hands,  and  we  were  made  to  use  it.  The 
Indians  in  the  canoe  were  seven  in  number ;  the  prisoners  fjur. 
I  had  left,  as  it  will  be  recollected,  Major  Etheringtfi.,  Lieuten- 
ant Lesslie,  and  Mr.  Bostwick,  at  M.  Langlade's,  cud  w;;s  now 
joined  in  misery  with  Mr.  Ezekiel  Solomons,  the  soldier,  and 
the  Englishman,  who  had  newly  arrived  from  Detroit.  This 
was  on  the  sixth  day  of  June.  The  fort  was  taken  on  the 
fourth  ;  I  surrendered  myself  to  Wenniway  on  the  fifth ;  and 
this  was  the  third  day  of  our  distress. 

"We  were  bound,  as  I  have  said,  for  the  Isles  du  Castor, 
which  lie  in  the  mouth  of  Lake  Michigan  ;  and  we  should  have 
crossed  the  lake  but  that  n  thick  fog  came  on,  on  account  of 
which  the  Indians  deemed  it  safer  to  keep  the  shore  close  under 
their  lee.  We  therefore  approached  the  lands  of  the  Ottawas, 
and  their  village  of  L'Arbre  Croche,  already  mentioned  as 
Ivinc  about  twenty  milcH  to  the  westward  of  Michiiimackinac, 


i 


H': 


If 


.-.'&■■■ 


m  n 


1 .1 1  ' 


U    n 


70 


OLD  AND   NEW  MACKINAC. 


on  the  opposite  side  of  the  tongue  of  land  on  which  the  fort 
is  built. 

"Every  half-hour  the  Indians  gave  their  war-whoops,  one 
for  every  prisoner  in  their  canoe.  This  is  a  general  custom, 
by  the  aid  of  which  all  the  Indians  within  hearing  are  apprised 
of  the  number  of  prisoners  they  are  carrying.  In  this  manner 
we  reached  Wagoshense  (Fox  Point),  a  long  point,  stretching 
westward  intc  the  lake,  and  which  the  Ottawas  make  a  carry- 
ing-place, to  avoid  going  round  it.  It  is  distant  eighteen  miles 
from  Michilimackinac.  After  the  Indians  had  made  their  war- 
whoop,  as  before,  an  Ottawa  appeared  upon  the  beach,  who 
made  signs  that  we  should  land.  In  consequence,  we  ap- 
proached. The  Ottawa  asked  the  news,  and  kept  the  Chippe- 
was  in  further  conversation,  till  we  were  within  a  few  yards  of 
the  land,  and  in  shallow  water.  At  this  moment,  a  hundred 
men  rushed  upon  us  from  among  the  bushes,  and  dragged 
all  the  prisoners  out  of  the  canoes,  amid  a  terrifying  shout. 

"We  now  believed  that  our  last  sufferings  were  approach- 
ing J  but  no  sooner  were  we  fairly  on  shore,  and  on  our  legs, 
than  the  chiefs  of  the  party  advanced  and  gave  each  of  us  their 
hands,  telling  us  that  they  were  our  friends,  and  Ottawas  whom 
the  Chippewas  had  insulted  by  destroying  the  English  without 
consulting  with  them  on  the  affair.  They  added  that  what  they 
had  done  was  for  the  purpose  of  saving  our  lives,  the  Chippe- 
was having  been  carrying  us  to  the  Isles  du  Castor  only  to 
kill  and  devour  up. 

"The  reader's  imagination  is  here  distracted  by  the  variety 
of  our  fortunes,  and  he  may 'well  paint  to  himself  the  state  of 
mind  of  those  who  sustained  them ;  who  were  the  sport,  or  the 
victims,  of  a  series  of  events  more  like  dreams  than  realities — 
more  like  fiction  than  truth  I  It  was  not  long  before  we  were 
embarked  again,  in  the  canoes  of  the  Ottawas,  who,  the  same 
evening,  re-landed  us  at  Michilimackinac,  where  they  marched 
us  into  the  fort,  in  view  of  the  C'hippewas,  confounded  at 
beholding  the  Ottawas  espouse  a  tide  opposite  to  their  own. 
The  Ottawas,  who  had  accompanied  us  in  sufficient  nun)bers, 


-1    F-Pll 


li, 


MASSACRE  AT  FORT  MACKINAC. 


n 


t'fi 


took  possession  of  the,  fort.  We,  who  had  changed  masters, 
but  were  still  prisoners,  were  lodged  in  the  house  of  the  com- 
mandant, and  strictly  guarded. 

"Early  the  next  morning,  a  General  Council  was  held,  in 
which  the  Chippewas  complained  much  of  the  conduct  of  the 
Olawas,  in  robbing  them  of  their  prisoners  j  alleging  that  all 
the  Indians,  the  Ottawas  alone  excepted,  were  at  war  with  the 
English;  that  Pontiac  had  taken  Detroit;  that  the  King  of 
France  had  awoke,  and  re-possessed  himself  of  Quebec  and 
Montreal,  and  that  the  English  were  meeting  destruction,  not 
on'y  at  Michilimackinac,  but  in  every  other  part  of  the  world. 
From  all  this  they  inferred  that  it  became  the  Ottawas  to 
restore  the  prisoners,  and  to  join  in  the  war ;  and  the  speech 
was  followed  by  large  presents,  being  part  of  the  plunder  of 
the  fort,  and  which  was  previously  heaped  in  the  center  of  the 
room.  The  Indians  rarely  make  their  answers  till  the  day 
after  they  have  heard  the  arguments  offered.  They  did  not 
depart  from  their  custom  on  this  occasion;  and  the  Council, 
therefore,  adjourned. 

"We,  the  prisoners  whose  fate  was  thus  in  controversy, 
were  unacquainted,  at  the  time,  with  this  transar'^^ion ;  and 
therefore  enjoyed  a  night  of  tolerable  tranquillity,  not  in  the 
least  suspecting  the  n  verse  which  was  preparing  for  us.  Which 
of  the  arguments  of  the  Chippewas,  or  whether  or  not  all 
were  deemed  valid  by  the  'ttawas,  I  can  not  say,  but  the 
Council  was  resumed  at  aa  early  hour  in  the  morning,  and, 
after  several  speeches  had  been  made  in  it,  the  prisoners  were 
sent  for,  and  returned  to  the  Chippewas. 

"The  Ottawas,  who  now  gave  us  in'.o  the  hands  of  the 
Chippewas,  had  them;  °lves  declared  that  the  latter  designed  no 
other  than  to  kill  us,  ..mJ  make  broth  of  ....  The  Chippewas, 
as  soon  as  we  "'ere  restored  to  them,  march.  •  us  to  a  vi;!;.';ie  of 
their  own,  situate  on  the  point  which  is  belcw  the  T--  > ',  and  put 
us  into  a  lodge,  already  the  prison  of  fourteen  soloic  :>,  tied  two 
and  two,  with  each  a  rope  around  his  neck,  and  made  fast  to  a 
pole  which  might  be  called  the  supporter  of  the  building. 


?  • 


Hi 

it} 


m 


' 


72 


OLD    AND    NEW    MACKINAC. 


Sl!"^l 


"I  ^vas  left  untied;  but  I  passed  a  nifih!  sleepless,  :iud  i'nll 
of  wretchedness.  My  bed  was  the  bare  g  ouna,  an(5  ]  was 
a,e;ain  reduced  to  an  old  shirt,  '-s  n>y  C'  irt  apr  »i"ei  ;  'he  b-a-'tet 
which  I  li.id  receivi  d,  through  the  generosity  of  M.  Cuciioise, 
having  btc»n  taken  from  me  Kuiong  tie  Ottawas,  when  they 
seized  upon  snyself  :ini"'  the  oihcis,  at  Wagoshense,  I  wis, 
besides,  in  want  of  food,  ha'i;ifj  for  two  days  eaten  no!hin£'.  I 
confess  that  in  the  canoe  wiui  fh«  Ch'ppewas,  I  v'.is  offered 
brr  1. J — but  bread,  with  what  a(.\oni];aiiin»enL!  ''  "  -y  had  a  loaf, 
which  they  cut  with  the  same  knives  that  tli'y  haa  employed  in 
the  ir.assacre — knives  still  covertid  with  blood.  The  blood  they 
r  jistened  with  spittle,  and,  rubbing  it  on  the  bread,  offered  this 
hr  food  to  their  prisoners,  telling  them  to  eat  the  blood  of 
their  countrymen. 

"  Such  was  my  situation  on  the  juorning  of  the  seventh  of 
June,  in  the  i^ear  one  thousand  sevc;*  hundred  and  sixty-three. 
But  a  few  hours  produced  an  event  which  gave  still  a  new  color 
to  my  lot.  Toward  noon,  when  the  great  war-chief,  in  company 
with  Wenniway,  was  seated  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  lodge,  my 
friend  and  brother,  Wawatam,  suddenly  came  in.  Daring  the 
four  days  preceding,  I  had  often  wondered  wJiat  had  become  of 
him.  In  passing  by,  he  gave  me  his  hand,  but  went  immediately 
toward  the  ^reat  chief,  by  the  side  of  whom  and  Wenniway  he 
sat  himself  down.  The  most  uninterrupted  silence  prevailed ; 
each  smoked  his  pipe ;  and,  this  done,  Wawatam  arose  and  left 
the  lodge,  saying  to  me,  as  he  passed,  'Ta..  j  c.urage.' 

"An  hour  elapsed,  during  which  several  chiefs  ente-ed,  and 
preparations  appeared  to  be  making  for  a  council.  At  length, 
Wawatam  re-entered  the  lodge,  followed  by  his  wife,  and 
both  loaded  with  merchandise,  which  they  carried  up  to 
the  chiefs,  and  laid  in  a  heap  befor .  them.  Some  moments 
of    silence    followed,   at    the    end  which    Wawatam    pro- 

nounced a  speech,  every  word  of  r  to  me,  was  of  extraor- 

dir  ary  interest. 

'  Friends  and  relations,'     '  '    ^an,  '  what  is  it  tha,t  I  shfli 
t»ayr    You    know    what    I    ..i.       You    all   have   friends  and 


I 


MASSACRE  AT  FOKT  MACKINAC. 


73 


brothers  and  children  whom  as  yourselves  you  love ;  and 
you — what  would  you  experience,  did  you,  like  me,  behold  your 
dearest  friend,  your  brother,  iu  the  condition  of  a  slave ;  a 
slave,  exposed  every  moment  to  insult  and  to  menaces  of 
death  ?  This  case,  as  you  all  know,  is  mine.  See  there  [point- 
ing to  myself],  my  friend  and  brother  among  slaves — himself 
a  slave ! 

"  '  You  all  well  know  that,  long  before  the  war  began,  I 
adopted  him  as  my  brother.  From  that  moment,  he  became  one 
of  my  family,  so  that  no  change  of  circumstances  could  break 
the  cord  whicii  fastened  us  together.  He  is  my  brother ;  and 
because  i  am  your  relation,  he  is  therefore  your  relation  too. 
And  how,  being  your  relation,  can  he  be  your  slave  ? 

"  '  On  the  day  on  which  the  war  began,  you  were  fearful 
lest,  on  this  very  account,  I  should  reveal  your  secret.  You  re- 
quested, therefore,  that  1  would  leave  the  fort,  and  even  cross 
the  lake.  1  did  so ;  but  I  did  it  witli  reluctance.  1  did  it  with 
reluctance,  notwithstanding  that  you,  Menehwehna  (Minava- 
vana),  who  had  the  command  in  this  enterprise,  gave  me  your 
promise  that  you  would  protect  my  friend,  delivering  him  from 
all  danger,  and  giving  him  safely  to  me.  The  performance  of 
this  promise  I  now  claim.  I  come  not  with  empty  hands  to  ask 
it.  You,  Menehwehna,  best  know  whether  or  not,  as  it  respects 
yourself,  you  have  kept  your  word ;  but  I  bring  these  goods  to 
buy  off  every  claim  which  any  man  among  you  all  may  have  on 
my  brother,  as  his  prisoner.' 

"Wawatam  having  ceased,  the  pipes  were  again  filled; 
and,  after  they  were  linished,  a  further  period  of  silence  fol- 
lowed. At  the  end  of  this,  Menehwehna  arose,  and  gave  his 
reply : 

'  '  My  relation  and  brother,'  said  he,  '  what  you  have  spoken 
is  the  truth.  We  were  acquainted  vith  the  friendship  which  sub- 
sisted b*'  ween  yourself  ^pd  the  Englishman,  in  whose  behalf 
you  have  now  addressed  us.  v»e  knew  the  danger  of  having  our 
secret  discovered,  and  the  consequences  which  must  follow;  and 
vou  sav  truly,  that  we  requeslcd  you  to  leave  the  fort.     This  we 


•,i 


''k 


'* 


74 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


did  out  of  regard  for  you  and  your  family ;  for,  if  a  discovery 
of  our  design  had  been  made,  you  would  have  been  blamed, 
whether  guilty  or  not ;  and  you  would  thus  have  been  involved 
in  difficulties  from  which  you  could  not  have  extricated 
yourself. 

"  '  It  is  also  true  that  I  promised  you  to  take  care  of  your 
friend ;  and  this  promise  I  performed  by  desiring  my  Fon,  at  the 
moment  of  assault,  to  seek  him  out  and  bring  him  to  my  lodge. 
He  went  accordingly,  but  could  not  find  him.  The  day  after  I 
sent  him  to  Langlade's,  when  he  was  informed  that  your  friend 
was  safe  ;  and  had  it  not  been  'hat  the  Indians  were  then  drink- 
ing the  rum  which  had  been  found  in  the  fort,  he  would  have 
brought  him  home  with  him,  according  to  my  orders,  I  am 
very  glad  to  find  that  your  friend  has  escaped.  We  accept  \our 
present  ;  ind  you  may  take  him  home  with  you.' 

"  Wawatam  thanked  the  assembled  chiefs,  and,  taking  me  by 
the  hrind,  led  me  to  his  lodge,  which  was  'at  the  distance  of  a 
few  yards  only  from  the  prison-lodge.  My  entrance  appeared  to 
give  joy  to  the  whole  family ;  food  was  immediately  prepared  for 
me,  and  I  now  ate  the  first  hearty  meal  which  I  had  made  since 
my  Capture.  I  found  myself  one  of  the  family;  and  but  that  I 
had  still  my  fears  as  to  the  other  Indians,  I  felt  as  happy  as  the 
situation  could  allow. 

"  In  the  course  of  the  next  niorning,  I  was  alarmed  by  a 
noise  in  the  prison-lodge  ;  and,  looking  through  the  openings  of 
the  lodge  in  which  I  was,  I  saw  seven  dead  bodies  of  white  men 
dragged  forth.  Upon  my  inquiry  into  th--  occasion,  I  was  in- 
formed that  a  certain  chief,  called  by  the  Canadians  Le  Grand 
Sable,  had  not  long  before  arrived  from  his  Winter's  hunt ;  and 
that  he,  having  been  absent  when  the  war  began,  and  being  now 
desirous  of  manifesting  to  the  Indians  at  large  his  hearty  concur- 
rence in  What  they  had  done,  had  gone  into  the  prison-lodge, 
and  there,  with  his  knife,  put  the  seven  men,  whose  bodies  I 
had  seen,  to  death. 

"  Shortly  after,  two  of  the  Indians  took  one  of  the  dead 
bodies,  which  they  chose  as  being  the  faftest,  cut  off  the  he.  i, 


W  'pi 


MASSACRE  AT  FORT  MACKINAC. 


75 


I 


and  divided  the  whole  into  five  parts,  one  of  which  was  put  into 
each  of  five  kettles,  hung  over  as  many  fires,  kindled  for  this 
purpose  at  the  door  of  the  prison-lodge.  Soon  after  things  were 
so  far  prepared,  a  message  came  to  our  lodge,  with  an  invitation 
to  Wawatam  to  assist  at  tiie  feast. 

"  An  invitation  to  a  feast  is  given  by  him  who  is  the  master 
of  it.  Small  cuttings  of  cedar-wood,  of  about  four  inches  in 
length,  supply  the  place  of  cards ;  and  the  bearer,  by  word  of 
mouth,  states  the  particulars.  Wawatam  obeyed  the  summons, 
taking  with  him,  as  is  usual,  to  the  place  of  entertainment,  his 
dish  and  spoon.  After  an  absence  of  about  half  an  hour,  he 
returned,  bringing  in  his  dish  a  human  hand,  and  a  large  piece 
of  flesh.  He  did  not  appear  to  relish  the  repast,  but  told  me 
that  it  was  then,  and  always  had  been,  the  custom  among  all  the 
Indian  nations,  when  returning  from  war,  or  on  overcoming  their 
enemies,  to  make  a  war-feast  from  among  the  slain.  This,  he 
said,  inspired  the  warrior  with  courage  tt  attack,  and  bred  him 
to  meet  death  with  fearlessness. 

"In  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  a  la.y.e  canoe,  such  as 
those  which  come  from  Montreal,  was  seen  advancing  to  the  fort. 
It  was  full  of  men,  and  I  distinguished  several  passengers.  The 
Indian  cry  was  made  in  the  village,  a  general  muster  ordered, 
and,  to  the  number  of  *wo  hundred,  they  marched  up  to  the'  fort, 
where  the  canoe  was  expected  to  land.  The  canoe,  suspecting 
nothing,  came  boldly  to  the  fort,  where  the  passengers,  as  being 
English  traders,  were  seized,  dragged  through  the  water,  beaten, 
reviled,  marched  to  the  prison-lodge,  ;i:  .'  i— -e  stripped  of  their 
clothes,  and  confined. 

"Of  the  English  traders  that  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  In- 
dians, at  the  capture  of  the  fort,  Mr.  Tracy  was  the  only  one 
who  lost  his  life.  Mr.  Ez=?kiel  Solomons  and  Mr.  Henry  Bost- 
wick  were  taken  by  the  Ottawas,  and,  after  the  peace,  carried 
down  to  Montreal,  and  there  ransomed.  Of  ninety  troops,  about 
seventy  were  killed ;  the  rest,  together  with  those  of  the  posts  in 
the  Bay  des  Puants,  and  at  the  river  Saint  Joseph,  were  also 
kept  in  safety  by  the  Ottawas.  till  th«  peace,  and  then  either 


I  !- 


I' I 
11 


'I 


iii, 


1^ 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


ii^^,j  )\  vtored,  or  ransomed  at  Montreal.  The  Ottawas  never 
oveiuaiue  their  disgust  at  the  neglect  with  which  they  had  been 
treated,  in  the  beginning  of  the  war,  by  those  who  afterward 
desired  their  assistance  as  allies." 


I'li 


ESCAPE  OF    HENRY  AND  OTHERS. 


17 


CHAPTER  V. 


ESCAPE  OF  HENRY   AND  OTHERS. 

THE  peculiarities  of  the  Indian  character  will  readily  explain 
to  us  the  part  which  the  Ottawas  played  in  this  transac- 
tion. They  deemed  it  gross  insult  that  the  Ojibwas  had  under- 
taken an  enterprise  of  such  vast  importance  without  consulting 
them  or  asking  their  assistance.  They  had,  therefore,  rescued 
Henry  and  his  companions  in  tribulation  from  the  hands  of 
their  captors,  and  borne  them  back  to  the  fort,  where  they  had, 
to  the  dismay  of  the  Ojibwas,  taken  possession  not  only  of  the 
fort,  but  of  the  other  prisoners  also.  This,  however,  was  purely 
out  of  revenge  to  the  Ojibwas,  and  not  from  any  good-will 
toward  the  prisoners.  After  the  Council  of  which  Henry  has 
told  us,  some  of  the  prisoners,  among  whom  was  Henry,  were 
given  up ;  but  the  officers  and  several  of  the  soldiers  were  re- 
tained, and  carried  by  the  Ottawas  to  L'Arbre  Croche.  Here, 
owing  probably  to  the  influence  of  Father  Janois,  they  were 
treated  with  kindness.  From  this  point  Ethrington  dispatched 
two  letters,  one  by  Janois  to  Major  Gladwyn,  at  Detroit,  and  the 
other  by  an  Ottawa  Indian  to  Lieuien.int  Gorell,  at  Green  Bay. 
Both  of  these  letters  contained  a  brief  account  of  the  massacre, 
and  an  earnest  entreaty  for  assistance.  The  one  addressed  to 
Gorell  was  as  follows  * 

"MiCHILt  MACKINAC,  Junt  II,  I763. 

"  Dear  Sir, — ^This  place  was  taken  by  surprise  on  the  4th 
instant  by  the  Chippewas  (Ojibwas),  at  which  time  Lieutenant 
Jamette  and  twenty  men  were  killed,  and  all  the  rest  taken  pris- 
oners ;  but  our  good  friends  the  Ottawas  have  taken  Lieutenant 


■}■' 


■" 

.y- 

■  1 

'.i 

11 

ill 

m 


;• 


OLD  AND  NEW  MACKINAC. 


Lesslie,  me,  and  eleven  men  out  of  their  hands,  and  have  prom- 
ised to  reinstate  us  again.  You'  11  therefore,  on  the  receipt  of 
this,  which  I  send  by  a  canoe  of  Ottawas,  set  out  with  all  your 
garrison,  and  what  English  traders  you  have  with  you,  and  come 
with  the  Indian  who  gives  you  this,  who  will  conduct  you  safe  to 
me.  You  must  be  sure  to  follow  the  instruction  you  receive 
from  the  bearer  of  this,  as  you  are  by  no  means  to  come  to  this 
post  before  you  see  me  at  the  village,  twenty  miles  from  this. 
.  .  .  I  must  once  more  beg  you'  11  lose  no  time  in  coming 
to  join  me ;  at  the  same  time  be  very  careful,  and  always  be 
on  your  guard.     I  long  much  to  see  you,  and  am,  dear  sir, 

"Your  most  humble  servant,  Geo.  Eihrington. 

"J.  GrORELL,  Royal  Americans y 


When  Father  Janois  reached  Detroit,  he  found  the  place 
closely  besieged,  and  consequently  no  assistance  could  come 
from  that  quarter ;  but  at  Green  Bay  the  case  was  otherwise. 
With  seventeen  men,  Lieutenant  Gorell  had  taken  possession  of 
that  post  in  1761,  and,  by  a  system  of  good  management,  had 
succeeded  in  allaying  the  hostility  of  the  savages  and  securing 
the  friendship  of  at  least  a  part  of  the  tribes  around  him.  On 
receiving  Ethrington's  letter,  Gorell  told  the  Indians  what  the 
Ojibwas  had  done,  and  that  he  and  his  soldiers  were  going  to 
Michilimackinac  to  restore  order,  adding  that,  during  his  ab- 
sence, he  commended  the  fort  to  their  care.  Presents  were  dis- 
tributed among  them,  and  advantage  taken  of  every  circum- 
stance that  could  possibly  be  made  to  favor  the  English  cause ; 
so  that  when  the  party  was  ready  to  embark,  ninety  warriors 
proposed  to  escort  the  garrison  on  its  way. 

Arriving  at  L'Arbre  Croche,  where  Captain  Ethrington, 
Lieutenant  Lesslie,  and  eleven  men  were  yet  detained  as  pris- 
oners, Gorell  received  an  intimation  that  the  Ottawas  intended 
to  disarm  his  own  men  also ;  but  he  promptly  informed  them 
that  such  an  attempt  would  meet  with  a  vigorous  resistance,  and 
the  Indians  desisted.  Several  days  were  now  spent  in  holding 
councils.    The  Indians  from  Green  Bay  requested  the  Ottawas 


ESCAPE   OP   HENRY   AND  OTHERS. 


79 


to  set  their  prisoners  at  liberty,  to  which  the  latter  at  length 
assented.  Thinking  only  of  how  they  might  escape  the  pres- 
ence of  their  troublesome  and  treacherous  foes,  they  prepared 
to  depart.  One  difficulty,  however,  yet  remained.  The  Ojibwas 
had  declared  that  they  would  prevent  the  English  from  passing 
down  to  Montreal,  and  again  they  had  recourse  to  a  Council.  A 
reversion  of  feeling,  as  we  shall  soon  see,  had  already  taken 
place  among  the  Ojibwa  chiefs  ;  and  at  length,  though  reluctantly, 
they  yielded  the  point.  On  the  eighteenth  day  of  July,  escorted 
by  a  fleet  of  Indian  canoes,  the  English  left  L'Arbre  Croche ; 
and  on  the  thirteenth  diiy  of  August  all  arrived  in  safety  at 
Montreal,  leaving  not  a  British  soldier  in  the  region  of  the  lakes, 
except  at  Detroit. 

Let  us  now  go  back,  in  point  of  time,  and  hear  our  old  friend 
Henry  to  the  end  of  his  story : 

"  In  the  morning  of  the  ninth  of  June,  a  General  Council  was 
held,  at  which  it  was  agreed  to  remove  to  the  island  of  Michili- 
mackinac,  as  a  more  defensible  situation  in  the  event  of  an 
attack  by  the  English.  The  Indians  had  begun  to  entertain  ap- 
prehensions of  a  want  of  strength.  No  news  had  reached  them 
from  the  Potawatomies,  in  the  Bay  des  Puants,  and  they  were 
uncertain  whether  or  not  the  Monomins  would  join  them.  They 
even  feared  that  the  Sioux  would  take  the  English  side.  This 
resolution  fixed,  they  prepared  for  a  speedy  retreat.  At  noon 
the  camp  was  broken  up,  and  we  embarked,  taking  with  us  the 
prisoners  that  were  still  undisposed  of.  On  our  passage,  we  en- 
countered a  gale  of  wind,  and  there  were  some  appearances  of 
danger.  To  avert  it,  a  dog,  of  which  the  legs  were  previously 
tied  together,  was  thrown  into  the  lake — an  offering  designed  to 
soothe  the  angry  passions  of  some  offended  Manitou. 

"  As  we  approached  the  island,  two  women  in  the  canoe  in 
which  I  was,  began  to  utter  melancholy  and  hideous  cries.  Pre- 
carious as  my  condition  still  remained,  I  experienced  some 
sensations  oif  alarm  from  these  dismal  sounds,  of  which  I 
could  not  then  discover  the  occasion.  Subsequently  I  learned 
that  it  is  customary  for  the  women,  on  passing  near  the  burial- 


.  > 


m.ll   ANII  NRW  MAL'RINAU. 


-■  i 


;f 


\V((H  mm  it  \vitiu>Mi  luiil  by  whiilt  (ltt>y  iiiu<ihl  Iti  tl»>ititiit  (hfili' 
KitlHyi  \\\\\\  llu>  WttituMt  \vi>|p   mil  \\\\\^  Itt  iitr>illii|{  n<ii  ttihlnn, 

\\\    \\W    \\\\\\\\\\\^    lIlMO    Wltn    l«    ItUtNlPt    of    lltP     iMtlllMIN,    A\    Wlllolt 

tlu>u>  woto  li   )i«il  ll\UM>  huH«h«<il  t«>ttl  nOv  llolilltid  \Wi\      III  (III* 
(oMiAo  ttl  (lift  tliiv,  ili<>M>  itnivi'il   rt   ittiiuo  nmii   hi'iiiili,  with 

«'lull<tiilirt«l\M>«t    NvllO    «>ll(l«>i«ViMril    («t    pll'Vltit    nil     lIlP     lllillitlin    (M 

it>|Mii  (hUht^ii  (o  (1)0  ttMlMitiup  III  IStiilliii'i  lull  Ui(«i  Wild  now 
(1)0  )iirva(ll)ig  |)iii«>«ioti,  A  (iiiiiil  Wiix  kopl  iliiiliiu  llio  iluy,  ittiil 
a  \vi<(<h  l»v  uijilii,  iiiitl  iiliiMiiN  vvpio  vi'iy  ruM|ii('iillv  n|(Ii'ihI 
Mrtil  1(11  oiuMOV  ii)t|ir)iii>il,  («ll  llii>  |iil>«iiiu<m  wuiilil  liiivi*  lin>ii 
|«ill  [w  \\\u\\\\  ,  i)iitl  I  ><u<«|>0(  h>il  lliiil,  •!><  .«lt  I'liulinluiltiii,  I  nllitulii 
>tl){Uv  lllril   litliv 

"Sov*>irtl  iliiVN  lit)(l  now  piiMMMl,  wlicii.  tiiip  htitiiiliiii,  rt  «'oii 
\U\\\9\\  lOiuut  pivvDlloO,  iiiul   I  ni\\\  Itio   liitlliiiin  luiiiihiii  In  n 
tH«n(\i<(«>il  luitnniM  dnvrtid  (ho  lii>t«tti.     lit  i«  mIdhi  itiiu*  I  |i<i«iii<>ii 
(llrti  two  liUjit*  noiors  {\o\\\  MniUionl  Wi'fO  ill  nielli, 

"AU  (ho  Indirtu  riuioon  woir  iiiiiui'«liiiti>lv  iiiniitiiitl,  mill 
tho'»r  l\oni  MontirrtI  \vri»'  Miiii'uinlod  tiitd  •*rlMMl  iii  lliry  limii'tl 
A  |hMnt,  Itoliiiu)  wliith  iltr  lloiilli)  lidil  luM'ii  ( litu  t<ii!*'i|,  '\'\\v 
D;vhhN  wrir  roniljjiunl  (o  a  Mt,  l,ovy,  niiil  would  liiivo  Ihtii 
Mvod  il  (ho  « iinoo  mni  hitil  nilloil  llioin  I'Vi'in  li  |»i(»|ir«i(y  ;  bill 
Ihoy  woir  (orvilliMl,  tuiil  dli«milH«  d  nolliiiin. 

"In  Iho  ort)U>0!*  Wt»H  k  Iuih«'   piopoilloii  of  lliptoi     rt   dun 
I^VI^tliK  ;t«  tpiUilion,  illld  otto  vvllit  II  Ihtc^ldood  diHliilliioii'i'  11111011^ 
Iho   IndiAii^t,  ovon  to  li\o  Icnm  o\  (hrii   doniosi   lilondt,     Wiiwtt 
trtU).   idwrtV:*  WiUrhliil  o\'  uiy    n;«IoIv,  no  nooiioi   hoiud  (ho  iiolur 
of  duinkoimosH  whioh.   in   iho  o\min^,  did   not   full   In  ln'nin, 
lh(tn   he   lopivsonlod  to   mo    Iho   diingoi    of  lonmiiitni;   in    the 
vilhtl^v,   :tnd  o>vnod  thiil  ho  oonld  not  hinnolf  loitiMl  tho  Imip 
lAtion  of  joinin^i  his  i't>intitdoK  in  iho  dohaurh.     'I'hiU   I   inighl 
escape  i»ll  misthirf,  ho  thoroloio  rotpiostod  timt  I  woiiUI  aoroin- 
pAnv  him  \^^  iho  nunintttin,  whcir  I  mmh  to  tom:tin  hiddon  till 
the  Ittjuor  fttiould  be  driutk.     V,c  mcco.    il  I'uc  tnouiitiUn  itc(H>rti- 


KMUAIMH  HV    MtrKfHV   ANI*   l)IMIU<H. 


If 


Intfty.  AIYmi'  wiilkliiti  iMMio  ihiiii  li.ili  ii  Hill*',  w«  ( tiiifx  III  It  liM({*< 
int'k,  t«|  IliM  Im4M  (if  wlilt  li  Wiin  iiii  u|ii>iil(i){,  (I111I4    wllhlii,  itinl 

Il|t|tl<i4llll|j  Id  llti  lll»t  I'MllillIKi  lit  II  I'llVX.       Mt<M*  WitW)tl)lllt  IMIMMI 

iiiimiiIimI  lliitl  I  nliiMilil  IiiIhi  ii|i  itty  ImliiliiH,  dihI  liy  itll  nuHihn 
ii'IUiiIh  nil  lti>  ii'hiiiiiMJ, 

*'i\\\  {{mIiim  Ii*I"  III*'  *  *)V)'.  Ill  wlili  li  llii<  tiiiltiiiMi'  W1114  iii'iitly 

IpII  t^M't  Willi',  I  liilltlil  |l|l<  lllllhi'l  I'llil  III  hii  tilMlliliil  III  Ho 
MI|I4|IM,    lll«t>    lllitl    III    Mil    IIVI'II,    lull     tvllll    il    llllllll'l     >t|lt<tltlM',     ImI) 

NMIIlll,   IniWliVCI,   III  I •i|l|ll|i'il         Alll'l    llM|t«  IniiUHd  ill'*llli'l  llll<, 

I  luiiliit  Miiiiill  liiitiiilirn  liiiiM  llti'  lM'i>q  iiimI  ii|i|i<imI  IIm'III  IhI  11 
ImmI,   iIii>ii   wiiI|i|ii'iI   iiivh'II   In  mv  lilioilui  >iimI   iiIi'jii    till  ility 

Ittl'llll,       (Ml    ilWillilll|l,    I    It'll    IIIV')l'll    llll  illlllll'illril    liy   iliilMi'   llll|<<<  I 

ll|iiiii  wliii  h  I  Illy,  itinl,  |i'iiiiivlii|f  II,  liiiiiiil  II  III  lii<  .1  ImiIii<      'I'lih 

I     i||l|l|lii')ril     III    III'     lllill    III     II    lliiil,   III     iiillllli    lilIlM     iHlllMill,     mill 

wliiil  iiiIhIiI  M'ly  iiiiliiiiilly  Im<  IiiiiI<i'i|  Im  In  llir  ji|,im'  In  wlili  li 
I  wim  I  lull  wlii'ii  iliiyllfjil  vl'iliiil  my  1  IiihiiIh'i  I  dim  mvi'M<iI, 
will)  nnliii'  lii'illi|i«  III  liiiiHii,  lliiil  I  Will-  lylll({  nil  iinlliili{/,  Icnit 
lliiiM  It  lii'iiji  III  liniiiiin  liiiiH'ii  iiiitl  t)l4iillii,  'vliii  II  iiivi'M'il  nil 
llii<  lliiiii  I 

"'rii(<  iliiy  |iithiiil  wllliiHil  llir  ii'liiin  III  Wiiwiiliiiii,  Mill  Willi 
mil  I'mimI,      A*«  lllijlil  il|i|iliiiii  lii'il,  I  Imiliil  iiiyu'll  iiii,ilili'  In  mi'i-l 

llM  tllllklM'im  III  llu<  1  IlllllH'l  llllimi',  will'  II,  III'VI'lllll  lc»4,  I  ImiI 
vli'Wi'il  lli'r  lliiiii  ;iltt'i|i«llM'4M  ilillin;/  llii<  il.iy  I  1  lnrn',  IImii' 
liilti,  III!  iiiljiii  nil  liinli  llll  IliU  iiIkIiI!)  Imli/liii;,  .mil  ulrjil  niiilfi 
it  im  Im'Iiiii',  I. Ill  In  llll'  iiiuiniii^,  I  iiwnlu'  liiin({iy  iiml  fll>)|iliili'i|, 
mill  illlilM'tl  I'luyiiiK  llll-  iliy  liiiiirii,  In  llic  viiw  ol  wlili  li  I 
irlililicil,  Al  Irii^Hi  llll'  miiiiiil  nl  11  liml  M'ik  licil  iiir,  .iii'l  nty 
tnilhiii  liii'iiil  ii|i|ii'iii('i|,  iiiiikitiK  Miiiiiy  j|iiiln|',ii-it  Im  'Inn  |iiii({ 
iil)|rii((',  llir  I  .iti'ii'  III  wliii  II  Wilt  nil  iiiifiiilninili*  cnicnh  in  llir 
nijnyilinil  nl  \\\h  liijilMl, 

"  TliiH  |ii»iiil  lirliin  i'ii|iliiiiici|,  I  iiM'iiiioiicil  ili»'  rxtninrilitiary 
hI|(IiI  Mi.iI  Ii.hI  |ii<  "iriitcil  il'ii'lf  in  tlir  1  ;iv  I')  whii  II  lu'  liiiM 
('oiiiiiiniilril  my  'iliimlinH  llr  li.ul  tirvi't  liranl  ol  iN  i'Kii«!i'ti(<; 
hi'Inri',  nml,  ii|»mh  rxiimiiiinj;  llir  r;ivr  Ioi^i-iIht,  wr  hiiw  rf.twm 
to  licllrvc  llial  il   li.nl  Imi'm  iiik  irrilly  lillril  willi  hiiiriati  lioilirn. 

*'()i)     rcSiiiiiiii^    lo    III'-    tnil^'-,    i     i-)i|»i  lii'iii  i!<l    il    < 'irtliiil 


n\' 


82 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


reception  from  the  family,  which  consisted  of  the  wife  of  my 
friend,  his  two  sons,  of  whom  the  eldest  was  married,  and 
whose  wife  and  a  daughter  of  thirteen  years  of  age  completed 
the  list. 

"Wawatam  related  to  the  other  Indians  the  adventure  cf 
the  bones.  All  of  them  expressed  surprise  at  hearing  it,  and 
declared  that  they  had  never  been  aware  of  the  contents  .>f 
this  cave  before.  After  visiting  it,  which  they  immediately  did, 
almost  every  one  offered  a  different  opinion  as  to  its  history. 
Some  advanced,  that  at  a  period  when  the  waters  overflowed 
the  land  (an  event  which  makes  a  distinguished  figure  in  the 
history  of  their  world),  the  inhabitants  of  this  island  had  fled 
into  the  cave,  and  been  there  drowned ;  others,  that  those  same 
inhabitants,  when  the  Hurons  made  war  upon  them  (as  tradi- 
tion says  they  did),  hid  themselves  in  the  cave,  and,  being 
discovered,  were  there  massacred.  For  myself,  I  am  disposed 
to  believe  that  this  cave  was  an  ancient  receptacle  of  the  bones 
of  prisoners  sacrificed  and  devoured  at  war-feasts.  I  have 
always  observed  that  the  Indians  pay  particular  attention  to 
the  bones  of  sacrifices,  preserving  them  unbroken,  and  deposit- 
ing them  in  some  place  kept  exclusively  for  that  purpose. 

"A  few  days  after  this  occurrence,  Menehwehna  (Minava- 
vana),  whom  I  now  found  to  be  the  great  chief  of  the  village 
of  Michilimackinac,  came  to  the  lodge  of  my  friend,  and  when 
the  usual  ceremony  of  smoking  was  finished,  he  observed  that 
Indians  were  now  daily  arriving  from  Detroit,  some  of  whom 
had  lost  relations  or  friends  in  the  war,  and  who  would  cer- 
tainly retaliate  on  any  Englishman  they  found,  upon  which 
account  his  errand  was  to  advise  that  I  should  be  dressed  like 
an  Indian,  an  expedient  whence  I  might  hope  to  escape  all 
future  insult. 

"  I  could  not  but  consent  to  the  proposal ;  and  the  chief  was 
so  kind  as  to  assist  my  friend  and  his  family  in  effecting  that 
very  day  the  desired  metamorphosis.  My  hair  was  cut  off, 
and  my  head  shaved,  with  the  exception  of  a  spot  on  the  crown 
of  about  twice  the  diameter  of  a  crown-piece.     My  face  wu 


ESCAPE  OP  HENRY  AND  OTHERS. 


83 


painted  with  three  or  four  different  colors,  some  parts  of  it  red, 
and  others  black.  A  shirt  was  provided  for  me,  painted  with 
vermilion  mixed  with  grease.  A  large  collar  of  wampum  was 
put  round  my  neck,  and  another  suspended  on  my  breast. 
Both  my  arms  were  decorated  with  large  bands  of  silver  above 
the  elbow,  besides  several  smaller  ones  on  the  wrists;  and  my 
legs  were  covered  with  mitasses,  a  kind  of  hose,  made,  as  is  the 
favorite  fashion,  of  scarlet  cloth.  Over  all  I  was  to  wear  a 
scarlet  mantle  or  blanket,  and  on  my  head  a  large  bunch  of 
feathers.  I  parted,  not  without  some  regret,  with  the  long  hair 
which  was  natural  to  it,  and  which  I  fancied  to  be  ornamental; 
but  the  ladies  of  the  family,  and  of  the  village  in  general,  ap- 
peared to  think  my  person  improved,  and  now  condescended 
to  call  me  handsome,  even  among  Indians. 

"  Protected  in  a  great  measure  by  this  disguise.  I  felt  myself 
more  at  liberty  than  before ;  and  the  season  being  arrived  in 
which  my  clerks  from  the  interior  were  to  be  expected,  and 
some  part  of  my  property,  as  I  had  a  right  to  hope,  recovered, 
I  begged  the  favor  of  Wawatam  that  he  would  enable  me  to 
pay  a  short  visit  to  Michilimackinac.  He  did  not  fail  to  com- 
ply, and  I  succeeded  in  finding  my  clerks ;  but,  either  through 
the  disturbed  s.tate  of  the  country,  as  they  represented  to  be 
the  case,  or  through  their  misconduci,  as  I  had  reason  to  think, 
I  obtained  nothing;  and  nothing,  or  almost  nothing,  I  now 
began  to  think  would  be  all  that  I  should  need  during  the  rest 
of  my  life.  To  fish  and  to  hunt,  to  collect  a  few  skins  and 
exchange  them  for  necessaries,  was  all  that  I  seemed  destined 
to  do  and  to  acr.uire  for  the  future. 

"I  returned  to  the  Indian  v'illage,  where  at  this  time  much 
scarcity  of  food  prevailed.  We  were  often  for  twenty-four 
hours  without  eating,  and  when  in  the  morning  we  had  no 
victuals  for  tho  day  before  us,  the  custom  was  to  black  our 
faces  with  grease  and  charcoal,  and  exhibit  through  resignation 
a  temper  as  cheerful  as  if  in  the  midst  of  plenty.  A  repetition 
of  the  evil,  however,  soon  induced  us  to  leave  the  island  in 
•earch  of  food,  and  accordingly  we  departed  for  the  Bay  of 


:l 


i\ 


.1 


r 


111 


«4 


OLD   AND   NEW  MACKINAC. 


Boutchitaony,  distant  eight  leagues,  and  where  we  found  plenty 
of  wild  fowl  and  fish." 

Leavinsc  the  bay  just  mentioned,  Henry,  with  his  friend 
Wawatam  and  family,  came  to  St.  Martin's  Island,  where,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  an  excellent  and  plentiful  supply  of  food,  they 
remained  until  the  twenty-sixth  of  August.  "At  this  time," 
continues  the  narrator,  "  the  Autumn  being  at  hand,  and  a  sure 
prospect  of  increased  security  from  hostile  Indians  afforded, 
Wawatam  proposed  going  to  his  intended  wintering-ground. 
The  removal  was  a  subject  of  the  greatest  joy  to  myself,  on  ac- 
count of  the  frequent  insults  to  which  I  had  still  to  submit  from 
the  Indians  of  our  band  or  village,  and  to  escape  from  which  I 
would  freely  have  gone  almost  anywhere.  At  our  wintering- 
ground  we  were  to  be  alone ;  for  the  Indian  fam'lies  in  the 
countries  of  which  I  write  separate  in  the  Winter  season  for  the 
convenience  as  well  of  subsistence  as  of  the  chase,  and  reasso- 
ciate  in  the  Spring  and  Summer. 

"In  preparation,  our  first  business  was  to  sail  for  Michili- 
r.iackinac,  where,  being  arrived,  we  procured  from  a  Canadian 
trader,  on  credit,  some  trifling  articles,  together  with  ammunition 
and  two  bushels  of  maize.  This  done,  we  steered  directly  for 
Lake  Michigan.  At  L'Arbre  Croche  we  stopped  one  day,  on  a 
visit  to  the  Ottawas,  where  all  the  people,  and  particularly 
O'ki'no'chu'ma'ki,  the  chief — the  same  who  took  me  from  the 
Chippewas — behaved  with  great  civility  and  kindness.  The 
chief  presented  me  with  a  bag  of  maize." 

From  L'Arbre  Croche  they  proceeded  directly  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river  Aux  Sables,  which,  Henry  tells  us,  is  "on  the  southern 
side  of  the  lake,"  and  as  they  hunled  along  their  way,  Henry 
enjoyed  a  personal  freedom  cf  which  he  had  long  been  de- 
prived, and  became  as  expert  ni  the  Indian  pursuits  as  the 
Indians  themselves.  The  Winter  was  spent  in  the  chase.  "  By 
degrees,"  says  Henry,  "  I  became  Aimiliarized  with  this  kind  of 
life,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  idea  of  which  I  could  not 
divest  my  mind,  that  I  was  living  among  savages,  and  for  the 
whispers  of  a  lingering  hope  that  I  should  one  day  be  released 


ESCAPE   OF   HENRY  AND   OTHERS. 


85 


from  it — or  if  I  could  have  forgotten  that  I  had  evei  been 
otherwise  than  as  I  then  was — I  could  have  enjoyed  as  much 
happiness  in  this  as  in  any  other  situation." 

At  the  approach  of  Spring,  the  hunters  began  their  prepara- 
tions for  returning  to  Micbilimackinac  ;  but  their  faces  were  no 
sooner  turned  toward  the  scene  of  the  massacre  than  all  began 
to  fear  an  attack  from  the  English.  The  cause  of  this  fear, 
Henry  tells  us,  wita  the  constant  dreams  of  the  more  aged 
women  to  that  effect.  Henry  labored,  but  in  vain,  to  allay  their 
fears.  On  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  April,  the  little  party  that  had 
collected  upon  the  beach  embarked. 

Henry  writes  :  "  At  La  Grande  Traverse  we  met  a  large 
party  of  Indians,  who  appeared  lo  labor,  like  ourselves,  under 
considerable  alarm,  and  who  dared  prot».ed  no  further  lest  they 
should  be  destroyed  by  the  English.  Frequent  councils  of  the 
united  bands  were  held,  and  interrogations  were  continually  put 
to  myself  as  to  whether  or  not  I  knew  of  any  design  to  attack 
them.  I  found  that  they  believed  it  possible  for  me  to  have  a 
foreknowledge  of  events,  and  to  be  informed  by  dreams  of  all 
things  doMig  at  a  distance. 

"Protestations  of  my  ignorance  were  recei\  id  with  but  little 
satisfaction,  and  incurred  the  suspicion  of  a  design  to  conceal 
my  knowledge.  On  this  account,  therefore,  or  because  I  saw 
them  tormented  with  fears  which  had  nothing  but  imagination  to 
rest  upon,  I  told  them  at  length  that  I  knew  there  was  no  enemy 
to  insult  them,  and  that  they  might  proceed  to  Micbilimackinac 
without  d.iiiger  from  the  English.  I  further,  and  with  more  con- 
fidence,  declared  that  if  ever  my  countrymen  returned  to  Micbi- 
limackinac, I  would  recommend  tl"  "i  to  their  favor,  on  account 
of  the  good  treatment  which  I  had  received  from  them.  Thus  en- 
couraged, they  embarked  at  an  early  hour  the  next  morning.  In 
crossing  the  bay,  we  experienced  a  storm  of  thunder  and  lightning, 

"  Our  port  was  the  village  of  L'Arbre  Creche,  which  we 
reached  in  safety,  and  where  we  staid  till  the  following  day.  At 
this  village  we  found  several  persons  who  had  lately  been  at 
Micbilimackinac,  and   from  them    we  had  the  satisfaction  of 


\  i 


86 


OLD    AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


learning  that  all  was  quiet  there.  The  remainder  of  our  voyage 
was  therefore  performed  with  confidence. 

"  In  the  evening  of  the  twenty-seventh  we  landed  at  the  fort, 
which  now  contained  only  two  French  traders.  The  Indians 
who  had  arrived  before  us  were  very  few  in  number,  and  by  all 
who  were  of  our  party  I  was  very  kindly  used.  I  had  the  entire 
freedom  both  of  the  fort  and  camp. 

"  Wawatam  and  myself  settled  our  stock,  and  paid  our  debts ; 
and,  this  done,  I  found  that  my  share  of  what  was  left  consisted  in 
a  hundred  beaver-skins,  sixty  raccoon-skin  v,  and  six  otter,  of  the 
total  value  of  about  one  hundred  and  sixfy  dollars.  With  these 
earnings  of  my  Winter's  toil,  I  proposed  to  purchase  clothes,  of 
which  I  was  much  in  need,  hav'aig  been  six  months  without  a 
shirt  J  but  on  inquiring  into  the  prices  of  goods,  I  found  that  ail 
my  funds  would  not  go  far.  I  was  able,  however,  to  buy  two 
shirts,  at  ten  pounds  of  beaver  each ;  a  pair  of  leggins,  or  pad- 
taloons,  of  scarlet  cloth,  which,  with  the  ribbon  to  garnish  them 
fashionably,  cost  nie  fifteen  pounds  of  beaver ;  a  blanket,  at 
twenty  pounds  of  beaver ;  and  some  other  articles  at 
proportionable  rates.  In  this  manner  my  wealth  was  soon 
reduced,  but  not  before  I  had  laid  in  a  good  stock  of  am- 
munition and  tobacco.  To  the  use  of  the  latter  I  had  become 
much  attached  through  the  Winter.  It  was  my  principal  recre- 
ation, after  retiuning  from  tht  chase  j  for  my  companions  in  the 
lodge  were  unaccustomed  to  pass  their  time  in  conversation. 
Among  the  Indians  the  topics  of  conversation  are  but  few,  and 
limited,  for  the  most  part,  to  the  transactions  of  the  day,  the 
number  of  animals  which  they  have  killed,  and  of  those  which 
have  escaped  their  pursuit,  and  other  incidents  of  the  chase. 
Indeed,  the  causes  of  taciturnity  among  the  Indians  may  be 
easily  under^ifood  if  we  consider  how  many  occasions  of  speech 
which  present  themselves  to  us  are  utterly  unknown  to  them, — 
the  r.»cords  of  hi.. lory,  the  pursuits  of  science,  the  disquisitions 
of  philosophy,  th-^  systems  of  politics,  the  business  and  the 
amusements  of  the  day,  and  the  transactions  of  the  four  corners 
of  the  world. 


-■H*^ 


ESCA1>£  OF   HENRY  AND   OTHERS. 


87 


"  Eight  days  had  passed  in  tranquillity,  when  there  arrived  a 
band  of  Indians  from  the  Bay  of  Saguenaum,  They  had 
assisted  at  the  siege  of  Detroit,  and  came  to  muster  as  many  re- 
cruits for  that  service  as  they  could.  For  my  own  part,  I  was 
soon  informed  that,  as  I  was  the  only  Englishman  in  the  place, 
they  proposed  to  kill  me  in  order  to  give  their  friends  a  mess  of 
English  broth,  to  raise  their  courage. 

"  This  intelligence  was  not  of  the  most  agreeable  kind,  and, 
in  consequence  of  receiving  it,  I  requested  my  friend  to  carry  me 
to  the  Sault  de  Sainte  Marie,  at  which  place  I  knew  the  Indians 
to  be  peaceably  inclined,  and  that  M.  Cadotte  enjoyed  a  powerful 
influence  over  their  conduct.  They  considered  M.  Cadotte  as 
their  chief,  and  he  was  not  only  my  friend,  but  a  friend  to  the 
English.  It  was  by  him  that  the  Chippewas  of  Lake  Superior 
were  prevented  from  joining  Pontiac. 

"  Wawatam  was  not  slow  to  exert  himself  for  my  preserva- 
tion, but,  leaving  Michilimackinac  in  the  night,  transported 
myself  and  all  his  Ic  Jge  to  Point  St.  Ignace,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  strait.  Here  we  remained  till  daylight,  and  then  went  into 
the  Bay  of  Boutchitaony,  in  which  we  spent  three  days  in  fishing 
and  hunting,  and  where  we  found  plenty  of  wild  fowl.  Leaving 
the  bay  we  made  for  the  Isle  aux  Outardes,  where  we  were 
obliged  to  put  in  on  account  of  the  wind's  coming  ahead.  We 
proposed  sailing  for  the  Sault  the  next  morning. 

"  But  when  the  morning  came  Wawatam's  wife  complained 
that  she  was  sick,  adding  that  she  had  had  bad  dreams,  and 
knew  that  if  we  went  to  the  Sault  we  should  all  be  destroyed. 
To  have  argued  at  this  time  against  the  infallibility  of  dreams 
would  have  been  extremely  iinadvisable,  since  I  should  have 
appeared  to  be  guilty,  riot  only  of  an  odious  want  of  faith,  but 
also  of  a  still  more  odious  want  of  sensibility  to  the  possible 
calamities  of  a  family  which  had  done  so  much  for  the  allevia- 
tion of  mine.  I  was  silent,  but  Mie  disappointment  seemed  to 
seal  my  fate.  No  prospect  opened  to  console  me.  To  return  to 
Michilimackinac  could  only  insure  my  destruction,  and  to 
remain  at  the  island  was  to  brave  almost  equal  danger,  since  it 


I'!  '■ 


If 


'4 


I 


A 


ri 


I 


'' 


m 


f  H 


:i 


l!!: 


i  ill 


V  I 


;n    ■ 


'1 
.1  ril 


88 


w 


OLD  a;:d  new  mackinac. 


lay  in  the  direct  route  between  the  fort  and  the  Missisaki,  along 
which  the  Indians  from  Detroit  were  hourly  expected  to  pass  on 
the  business  of  their  mission.  I  doubted  not  but,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  solitary  situation  of  the  family,  they  would  carry 
into  execution  their  d'sign  of  killing  me. 

"  Unable  therefore  to  take  any  part  in  the  direction  of  our 
course,  but  a  prey  at  the  same  time  to  the  most  anxious  thoughts 
as  to  my  own  condition,  I  passed  all  the  c  .j  on  the  highest  part 
to  which  I  could  climb  of  a  tall  tree,  and  whence  the  lake  on 
both  sides  of  the  island  lay  open  to  my  view.  Here  I  might 
hope  to  learn  at  the  earliest  possible  moment  the  approach  of 
canoes,  and  by  this  means  be  warned  in  time  to  conceal  myself 

"  On  the  second  morning  I  returned,  as  soon  as  it  was  light, 
to  my  watch-tower,  on  which  I  had  not  been  long  before  I  dis- 
covered a  sail,  coming  from  Michilimackinac.  The  sail  was  a 
white  one,  and  much  larger  than  those  usually  employed  by  the 
northern  Indians.  I  therefore  indulged  a  hope  that  it  knight  be 
a  Canadian  canoe  on  its  voyage  to  Montreal,  and  thg.t  I  might 
be  able  to  prevail  upon  the  crew  to  take  :ne  with  theui,  and  thus 
release  me  from  all  my  troubles. 

"  My  hopes  continued  to  gain  strength  j  for  I  soon  persuaded 
myself  that  the  manner  in  which  ihe  paddles  were  used  on  board 
the  canoe  was  Canadian,  and  not  Indian.  My  spirits  were 
elated ;  but  disappointment  had  become  so  usual  with  me,  that  I 
could  not  suffer  myself  to  look  to  the  event  with  any  strength  of 
confidence.  Enough,  however,  appeared  at  length  to  demon- 
strate itself  to  induce  me  to  descend  the  tree  and  repair  to  the 
lodge  with  my  tidings  and  schemes  of  liberty.  The  family  con- 
gratulated me  on  the  approach  of  so  fair  an  opportunity  of  es- 
cape, and  my  father  and  brother  (for  he  was  alternately  each  of 
these)  lit  his  pipe  and  presented  it  to  me,  saying :  '  My  son,  this 
ma\  l*c  tiic  last  time  that  ever  you  and  I  shall  smoke  out  of  the 
same  pipe!  I  am  sorry  to  part  with  you.  You  know  tlie  affec- 
tion which  I  have  always  borne  you,  and  the  dangers  to  which  I 
have  exposed  myself  and  family  to  preserve  you  from  your  ene- 
mies, and  I   am  happy  to  find  that  my  efforts  promise  not  to 


ESCAPE   OF   HENRY   AND    OTHERS. 


89 


have  been  in  vain.'  At  this  time  a  boy  came  into  the  lodge, 
informing  us  that  the  canoe  had  come  from  Michilimacli- 
inac,  and  was  bound  to  the  Sault  de  Sainte  Marie.  It  was 
manned  by  three  Canadians,  and  was  carrying  liome  Madame 
Cadotte,  wife  of  M.  Cadotte,  aheady  mentioned. 

"My  hopes  of  going  to  Montreal  being  now  dissipated,  I  re- 
solved on  accompanying  Madame  Cadotte,  with  her  permission, 
to  the  Sault.  On  conununicating  my  wishes  to  Madame  Cadotte, 
she  cheerfully  acceded  to  them.  Madame  Cadotte,  as  I  have 
already  mentioned,  was  an  Indian  woman  of  the  Chippewa 
nation,  and  she  was  very  generally  respected. 

"  My  departure  fixed  upon,  1  returned  to  the  lodge,  where  I 
packed  up  my  wardrobe,  consisting  of  my  two  shirts,  pair  of 
leggins,  and  blanket.  Besides  these,  I  took  a  gun  and  ammu- 
nition, presenting  what  remained  further  to  n\\  host.  I  also 
returned  the  silver  arm-bands  with  which  the  family  had 
decorated  me  the  year  before. 

"We  now  exchanged  farewells,  with  an  emotion  entirely  recip- 
rocal. I  did  not  quit  the  lodge  without  the  most  grateful  sense 
of  the  many  acfs  of  goodness  which  I  had  experienced  in  it,  nor 
without  the  sip-^-rest  respect  for  the  virtues  which  I  had  wit- 
nessed among  its  i..embers.  All  the  family  accompanied  me  to 
the  beach,  and  the  canoe  had  no  sooner  put  off  than  Wawatam 
commenced  an  address  to  the  Ki'chi'  Ma'ni'to,  beseeching  him 
to  take  care  of  me,  his  brother,  till  we  should  next  meet.  This, 
he  had  told  me,  would  not  be  long,  as  he  intended  to  return  to 
Michilimackinac  for  a  short  time  only,  and  then  would  follow  me 
to  the  Sault.  We  had  proceeded  to  too  great  a  distance  to  allow 
of  our  hearing  his  voice,  before  Wawatar  1  had  ceased  to  offer  up 
his  prayers. 

"  Being  now  r,  -  longer  in  the  society  of  Indians,  I  laid  aside 
the  dress,  putting  on  that  of  a  Canadian — a  molton  or  blanket 
coat  over  my  shirt,  and  a  handkerchief  about  my  head,  hats 
being  very  little  worn  in  this  country. 

"  At  daybreak  on  the  second  morning  of  our  voyage  we  em- 
barked, ,•'•:■        sently  perceived  several  canoes  behind  us.     As 


90 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


B 


they  approached,  we  ascertained  them  to  be  the  fleet  bound  for 
the  Missisaki,  of  which  I  huu  been  so  long  in  dread.  It 
amounted  to  twenty  sail.  On  coming  iip  with  us  and  surround- 
ing our  canoe,  and  amid  general  inquiries  concerning  the  news, 
an  Indian  challenged  me  for  an  Englishman,  and  his  companions 
supported  him  by  declaring  that  I  looked  very  like  one  ;  but  I 
affected  not  to  understand  any  of  the  questions  which  they  asked 
me,  and  Madame  Cadotte  assured  them  that  I  was  a  Canadian 
whom  she  had  brought  on  his  first  voyage  from  Montreal. 

'The  following  day  saw  us  safely  landed  at  the  Sault,  where 
i  experienced  a  generous  welcome  from  M.  Cadotte.  There 
were  thirty  warriors  at  this  place,  restrained  from  joining  in  the 
war  only  by  M.  Cadotte's  influence.  Here  for  five  days  I  was 
once  more  in  the  possession  of  tranquillity;  but  on  the  sixth  a 
young  Indian  came  into  M.  Cadotte's,  saying  that  a  canoe  full  of 
warriors  had  just  arrived  from  Michilimackinac ;  that  they  had 
inquired  for  me,  and  that  he  believed  their  intentions  to  be  bad. 
Nearly  at  the  same  time  a  message  came  from  the  good  chief 
of  the  village,  desiring  me  to  conceal  myself  until  he  should  dis- 
cover the  views  and  temper  of  the  strangers.  A  garret  was  a 
second  time  my  place  of  refuge  ;  and  it  was  not  long  before  the 
Indians  came  to  M.  Cadotte's.  My  friend  immediately  informed 
Mut'chi'ki'wish,  their  chief,  who  was  related  to  his  wife,  of  the  de- 
sign imputed  to  them  of  mischief  against  myself.  Mutchikiwish 
frankly  acknowledged  that  they  had  had  such  a  design,  but  added 
that,  if  displeasing  to  M.  Cadotte,  it  should  be  abandoned.  He 
then  further  stated  that  their  errand  was  to  raise  a  party  of  war- 
riors to  return  with  them  to  Detroit,  and  that  it  had  been  their 
intention  to  take  me  with  them. 

"  In  regard  to  the  principal  of  the  two  objects  thus  disclosed, 
M.  Cadotte  proceeded  to  assemble  all  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of 
the  village ;  and  these,  after  deliberating  for  some  time  among 
themselves,  sent  for  the  strangers,  to  whom  both  M.  Cadotte  and 
the  chief  of  the  village  addressed  a  speech.  In  these  speeches, 
after  recurring  to  the  designs  confessed  to  have  been  entertained 
against  myself,  who  was  now  declared  to  be  under  the  immediate 


ESCAPE  OF   HENRY  AND  OTHERS. 


9» 


"A  n.  imeni 
just  arrivet    fro- 
every  one  v 
fresh  stratigei,-,  > 
came  accordingly, 


ite 


protection  of  all  the  chiefs,  by  whom  any  insult  I  might  sustain 
would  be  avenged,  'he  embassadors  were  peremptorily  told  that 
they  m'f!;ht  go  back  as  they  came,  none,  ol'  the  young  men  of 
this  villag    he'       '■^oIish       lugh  to  join  them. 

I  report  was  brought  that  a  canoe  had 
.^,ira.  As  this  was  a  place  from  whicl! 
to  aear  news,  a  message  was  sent  to  these 
'g  them  to  come  to  the  Council.  They 
;,  being  seated,  along  silence  ensued.  At 
length  one  of  them,  taking  up  a  belt  of  wampum,  addressed  him- 
self thus  to  the  assembly :  '  My  friends  and  brothers,  I  am 
come  with  this  belt  from  our  great  father,  Sir  William  Johnson. 
He  desired  me  to  come  to  you,  as  his  embassador,  and  tell  you 
that  he  is  making  a  great  feast  at  Fort  Niagara  ;  that  his  kettles 
are  all  ready,  and  his  fires  lit.  He  invites  you  to  partake  of  the 
feast,  in  common  with  your  friends  the  Six  Nations,  which  have 
all  made  peace  with  the  English.  He  advises  you  to  seize  this 
opportunity  of  doing  the  same,  as  you  can  not  otherwise  fail  of 
being  destroyed  ;  for  the  English  are  on  iheir  march  with  a  great 
army,  which  will  be  joined  by  different  nations  of  Indians.  In 
a  word,  before  the  fall  of  the  leaf  they  will  be  at  Michilimack- 
inac,  and  the  Six  Nations  with  them.' 

"The  tenor  of  this  speech  greatly  alarmed  the  Indians  of  the 
Sault,  who,  after  a  very  short  consultation,  agreed  to  send  twenty 
deputies  to  Sir  William  Johnson,  at  Niagara.  This  was  a  project 
highly  interesting  to  me,  since  it  offered  me  the  means  of  leaving 
the  country.  I  intimated  this  to  the  chief  of  the  village,  and 
received  his  promise  that  I  should  accompany  the  deputation. 

"Very  little  time  was  proposed  to  be  lost  in  setting  forward 
on  the  voyage ;  but  the  occasion  was  of  too  much  magnitude 
not  to  call  for  more  than  human  knowledge  and  discretion ; 
and  preparations  were  accordingly  made  for  solemnly  invoking 
and  consulting  the  Great  Turtle.  In  this,  the  first  thing  to 
be  done,  was  the  building  of  a  large  house  or  wigwam,  within 
which  was  placed  a  species  of  tent,  for  the  use  of  the  priest, 
and  reception  of  the  spirit.    The  tent  was  formed  of  moose- 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


^^^^4^. 


121 


|25 


mm 
m 


12.2 

•u   1,^    iiii 


I 


2.0 


L25  III  1.4 


11 


1.6 


<9^     > 


o>. 


/2 


/. 


(3 


/ 


Photographic 

Science^ 

Corporation 


33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

VyitSTH.N.Y.  USM 

(7I«)«73.4903 


^O" 


\] 


\l^ 


92 


OLD   AND   KEW   MACKINAC. 


skins,  hung  over  a  frame-work  of  wood.  Five  poles,  or  rather 
pillars,  of  five  different  species  of  timber,  about  ten  feet  in 
height,  and  eight  inches  in  diameter,  were  set  in  a  circle  of 
about  four  feet  in  diameter.  The  iioles  made  to  receive  them 
were  about  two  feet  deep ;  and  the  pillars  being  set,  the  holes 
were  filled  up  again  with  the  earth  which  had  been  dug  out. 
At  the  top,  the  pillars  were  bound  together  by  a  circular  hoop, 
or  girder.  Over  the  whole  of  this  edifice  were  spread  the 
moose-skins,  covering  it  at  top  and  round  the  sides,  and  made 
fast  with  thongs  of  the  same ;  except  that  on  one  side  a  part 
was  left  unfastened,  to  admit  of  the  entrance  of  the  priest. 

"The  ceremonies  did  not  commence  but  with  the  approach 
of  night.  To  give  light  within  the  house,  several  fires  were 
kindled  round  the  tent.  Nearly  the  whole  village  assembled 
in  the  house,  and  myself  among  the  rest.  It  was  not  long 
before  the  priest  appeared,  almost  in  a  state  of  nakedness.  As 
he  approached  the  tent,  the  skins  were  lifted  up  as  mucli  as 
was  necessary  to  allow  of  his  creeping  under  them,  on  his  hands 
and  knees.  His  head  was  scarcely  inside,  when  the  edifice, 
massy  as  it  has  been  described,  began  to  shake;  and  the  skins 
were  no  sooner  let  fall  than  the  sounds  of  numerous  voices 
were  heard  beneath  them ;  some  yelling,  some  barking  as  dogs, 
some  howling  like  wolves ;  and  in  this  horrible  concert  were 
mingled  screams  and  sobs,  as  of  despair,  anguish,  and  the 
sharpest  pain.  Articulate  speech  was  also  uttered,  as  if  from 
human  lips,  but  in  a  tongue  unknown  to  any  of  the  audience. 

"After  some  time,  these  confused  and  frightful  noises  were 
succeeded  by  a  perfect  silence;  and  now  a  voice,  not  heard 
before,  seemed  to  manifest  the  arrival  of  a  new  character  in 
the  tent.  This  was  a  low  and  feeble  voice,  resembling  the  cry 
of  a  young  puppy.  The  sound  was  no  sooner  distinguished, 
than  all  the  Indians  clapped  thtir  hands  for  joy,  exclaiming 
that  this  was  the  Chief  Spirit — the  Turtle — the  spirit  that 
never  lied  I  Other  voices,  which  they  had  discriminated  from 
time  to  time,  they  had  previously  hissed,  as  recognizing  them 
to  belong  to  evil  and  lying  spirits,  which   deceive   mankind. 


ii 


ESCAPE  OF   HENRY  AND   OTHERS. 


93 


1  -> 


New  sounds  came  from  the  tent.  During  the  space  of  half  an 
hour,  a  succession  of  songs  were  heard,  in  which  a  diversity  of 
voices  met  the  ear.  From  his  first  entrance,  till  these  songs 
were  finished,  we  heard  nothing  in  the  proper  voice  of  the 
priest ;  but  now  he  addressed  the  multitude,  declaring  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Great  Turtle,  and  the  spirit's  readiness  to  answer 
such  questions  as  should  be  proposed. 

"The  questions  were  to  come  from  the  chief  of  the  village, 
who  was  silent,  however,  till  after  he  had  put  a  large  quantity 
of  tobacco  into  the  tent,  introducing  it  at  the  aperture.  This 
was  a  sacrifice,  offered  to  the  spirit ;  for  spirits  are  supposed, 
by  the  Indians,  to  be  as  fond  of  tobacco  as  themselves.  The 
tobacco  accepted,  he  desired  the  priest  to  inquire, — Whether 
or  not  the  English  were  preparing  to  make  war  upon  the 
Indians?  and,  whether  or  not  there  were  at  Fort  Niagara  a 
large  number  of  English  troops  ?  These  questions  having  been 
put  by  the  priest,  the  tent  instantly  shook;  and  for  some 
seconds  after,  it  continued  to  rock  so  violently  that  I  expected 
to  see  it  leveled  with  the  ground.  All  this  was  a  prelude,  as 
I  supposed,  to  the  answers  to  be  given;  but  a  terrific  cry 
announced,  with  sufficient  intelligibility,  the  departure  of  the 
Turtle, 

"A  quarter  of  an  hour  elapsed  in  silence,  and  I  waited 
impatiently  to  discover  what  was  to  be  the  next  incident  in 
this  scene  of  imposture.  It  consisted  in  the  return  of  the  spirit, 
whose  voice  was  again  heard;  and  who  now  delivered  a  con- 
tinued speech.  The  language  of  the  Great  Turtle,  like  that 
which  we  had  heard  before,  was  wholly  unintelligible  to  every 
ear,  that  of  the  priest  excepted ;  and  it  was,  therefore,  not  till 
the  latter  gave  us  an  interpretation,  which  did  not  commence 
before  the  spirit  had  finished,  that  we  learned  the  purport  of 
this  extraordinary  communu^ation. 

"The  spirit,  as  we  wero  now  informed  by  the  priest,  had, 
during  his  short  absence,  crossed  Lake  Huron,  and  even  pro-' 
ceeded  as  far  as  Fort  Ningara,  which  is  at  the  head  of  Lake 
Ontario,  and  thence  to  Montreal.     At  P'ort  Niagara  he  had 


7    . 


il  ■     '^^K 


94 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


seen  no  great  number  of  soldiers;  but,  on  descending  the  St. 
Lawrence  as  low  as  Montreal,  he  had  found  the  river  covered 
with  boats,  and  the  boats  filled  with  soldiers,  in  number  like 
the  leaves  of  the  trees.  He  had  met  them  on  their  way  up  the 
river,  coming  to  make  war  upon  the  Indians. 

"The  chief  had  a  third  question  to  propose;  and  the  spirit, 
without  a  fresh  journey  to  Fort  Niagara,  was  able  to  give  it  an 
instant  and  most  favorable  answer.  'If,'  said  the  chief,  'the 
Indians  visit  Sir  William  Johnson,  will  they  be  received  as 
friends?' 

"'Sir  William  Johnson,'  said  the  spirit  (and  after  the  spirit, 
the  priest),  'Sir  William  Johnson  will  fill  their  canoes  with 
presents:  with  blankets,  kettles,  guns,  gunpowder,  and  shot, 
and  large  barrels  of  rum,  such  as  tlie  stoutest  of  the  Indians 
will  not  be  able  to  lift ;  and  every  man  will  return  in  safety  to 
his  fanily.'  At  this,  the  transport  was  universal ;  and,  amid  the 
clapping  of  hands,  a  hundred  voices  exclaimed,  I  will  go  too  I 
I  will  go  too  I' 

"The  questions  of  public  interest  being  resolved,  iiidiviJuals 
were  now  permitted  to  seize  the  opportunity  of  inquiring  ir^'> 
the  condition  of  their  absent  friends,  and  the  fate  of  sucl 
were  sick.     I  observed  that  the  answers  given  to  these  que^;- 
tidns  allowed  of  much  latitude  of  interpretation. 

"The  Great  Turtle  continued  to  be  consulted  till  near 
midnight,  when  all  the  crowd  dispersed  to  their  respective 
lodges. 

"  I  was  on  the  watch,  through  the  scene  I  have  described, 
to  detect  the  particular  contrivances  by  which  the  fraud  was 
carried  on ;  but,  such  was  the  skill  displayed  in  the  perform- 
ance, or  such  my  deficiency  of  penetration,  that  I  made  no 
discoveries,  but  came  away,  as  I  went,  with  no  more  than  those 
general  surmises  which  will  naturally  be  entertained  by  every 
reader." 

Henry  accompanied  the  Indian  deputation,  and  reached 
Fort  Niagara  in  safety,  where  he  was  received  in  the  most  cor- 
dial manner  by  Sir  William  Johnson.    Thus  he  escaped  the 


ESCAPE  OF   HENRY   AND  OTHERS. 


9S 


sufferings  and  dangers  which  the  capture  of  Michilimackinac 
had  brought  upon  him. 

The  reader  will  doubtless  be  interested  to  know  the  fate 
of  Minavavana,  or  the  Grand  Sautor,  as  he  was  otherwise  called, 
who  led  the  Ojibwas  at  the  massacre  of  Michilimackinac.  The 
following  notice  of  this  chief  is  from  the  pen  of  J.  Carver,  Esq., 
an  English  gentleman  who  visited  Michilimackinac  in  the  year 
1766,  three  years  after  the  massacre: 

"The  first  I  accosted  were  Chippewas,  inhabiting  near  the 
Ottowan  lakes;  who  received  me  with  great  cordiality,  and 
shook  me  by  the  hand  in  token  of  friendship.  At  some  little 
distance  behind  these  stood  a  chief,  remarkably  tall  and  well 
made,  but  of  so  stern  an  aspect  that  the  most  undaunted  per- 
son could  not  behold  him  without  feeling  some  degree  of  terror. 
He  seemed  to  have  passed  the  meridian  of  life,  and  by  the 
mode  in  which  he  was  painted  and  tattooed,  I  discovered  that 
he  was  of  high  rank.  However,  I  approached  him  in  a  courte- 
ous Tuanner,  and  expected  *:o  have  met  with  the  same  reception 
I  had  done  firom  the  others;  but,  to  my  great  surprise,  he 
withheld  his  hand,  and  looking  fiercely  at  me,  said  in  the  Chip- 
pewa tongue,  'Caurin  nishishin  saganosh;'  that  is,  'The  En- 
plish  are  no  good.'  As  he  had  his  tomahawk  in  his  hand,  I 
expected  that  this  laconic  sentence  would  have  been  followed 
by  a  blow ;  to  prevent  which  I  drew  a  pistol  from  my  belt,  and 
holding  it  in  a  careless  position,  passed  close  by  him,  to  let 
him  see  I  was  not  afraid  of  him. 

"I  learned  soon  after,  from  the  other  Indians,  that  this  was 
a  chief  called  by  the  French  the  Grand  Sautor,  or  the  Great 
Chippewa  Chief;  for  they  denominate  the  Chippewas,  Sautors. 
They  likewise  told  me  that  he  had  been  always  a  steady  friend 
to  that  people,  and  when  they  delivered  up  Michilimackinac  to 
the  English,  on  their  evacuation  of  Canada,  the  Grand  Sautor 
had  sworn  that  he  would  ever  remain  the  avowed  enemy  of  its 
new  possessors,  as  the  territories  on  which  the  fort  is  built 
belonged  to  him. 

"  Since  I  came  to  England  I  have  been  informed  that  the 


'(<  I 


96 


OLD  AND  NEW  MACKINAC. 


Grand  Sautor,  having  rendered  himself  more  and  more  dis- 
gustful to  the  English  by  his  inveterate  enmity  toward  them, 
was  at  length  stabbed  in  his  tent,  as  he  encamped  near  Michi* 
limackinac,  by  a  trader." 

For  a  little  more  than  a  year  after  the  massacre,  Mackinac 
was  only  occupied  by  the  coureurs  de  bois  and  such  Indian 
jands  as  chose  to  make  it  a  temporar}-  residence  5  but  after  the 
treaty  with  the  Indians,  Captain  Howard,  with  a  sufficiently 
large  detachment  of  troops,  was  sent  to  take  possession  of  it, 
and  "once  more  the  cross  of  St.  George  was  a  rallying  point, 
and  the  protection  of  the  adventurous  traders." 

"In  1779,  a  party  of  British  officers  passed  over  from  the 
point  of  the  peninsula  to  the  island  of  Michilimack'nac,  to 
reconnoiter,  with  the  intention  of  removing  the  fort  thither. 
After  selecting  a  location,  they  asked  permission  of  the  Indians 
to  occupy  it.  Some  time  elapsed  before  their  consent  could 
be  obtained ;  consequently,  the  removal  was  not  effected  until 
the  ensuing  Summer.  A  government-house  and  a  few  other 
buildings  were  erected,  on  the  site  of  the  present  village,  and 
the  troops  took  possession  on  the  15  th  of  July,  1780. 

"The  removal  of  the  inhabitants  from  the  main-land  to  the 
island  was  gradual ;  and  the  fort,  which  was  built  on  the  site  of 
the  present  one,  was  not  completed  until  1783." 


I  .' 


•I 
WAR  OF   I8l2. 


97 


I. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


WAR  OF  18ie. 

WHEN  iSc  war  of  1812  broke  out,  the  territory  of  Michi- 
gan was  it>  a  defenseless  condition.  The  military  posts 
about  the  lakes  were  but  poorly  fortified,  and  manned  with 
insufficient  garrisons.  They  were  situattd  in  the  midst  of 
almost  impenetrable  forests,  filled  with  hostile  savages,  while 
at  no  great  distance  Wt-xs  a  large  body  of  British  subjects  who 
could  easily  be  brought  against  them. 

The  garrison  of  Fort  Mackinac,  av  the  time,  consisted  of 
only  fifty-seven  effective  men,  imder  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
Hanks.  The  fort  itself  was  mainly  the  same  as  now.  The 
walls  which  had  been  built  by  the  British  in  1780,  and  which 
are  still  standing,  were  surmounted  by  a  palisade  of  cedar  pick- 
ets about  ten  feet  high,  intended  as  a  defense  against  the 
Indians.  To  make  it  impossible  to  scale  this  palisade,  each 
picket  was  protected  at  the  top  by  iron  prongs,  made  sharp, 
and  by  hooks  on  the  outside.  Through  it  were  numerous  port- 
holes, through  which  a  leaden  shower  of  death  might  be  made 
to  pour  upon  any  foe  that  should  dare  to  come  in  reach.  Two 
or  three  guns  of  small  caliber  were  planted  at  convenient  places 
upon  the  walls,  and  one  small  piece  in  each  of  the  three  block- 
houses, which  are  yet  standing.  The  town,  at  the  time,  was 
much  smaller  than  now.  Except  the  old  distillery,  which  stood 
upon  the  beach  some  little  distance  beyond  the  present  western 
limits  of  Shanty  Town,  no  building  had  been  erected  west  of 
the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Ambrose  Davenport,  and  none 
east  of  the  fort  garden,  except  one  small  shanty,  which  stood 
near  the  present  site  of  the  old  Mission  Church.    With  009 


;i 


98 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


exception,  the  houses  were  all  one-story  buildings,  built  of 
cedar,  and  roofed  with  cedar-bark.  This  one  house,  which 
formed  the  exception,  was  then  occupied  by  a  Dr.  Mitchell, 
and  is  still  standing.  The  several  traders  then  on  the  island 
had  each  what  might  be  called  a  store ;  and  there  was  one  dock, 
so  called,  which  consisted  of  two  cribs  filled  with  stone,  and 
connected  with  each  other  and  with  the  beach  by  two  logs 
placed  side  by  side.  ' 

In  1795,  when  the  British  gave  up  Fort  Mackinac  to  the 
Americans,  the^  repaired  to  the  island  of  St.  Joseph,  which  is 
situated  in  St.  Mary's  River,  about  twenty  miles  above  Detour, 
and  there  constructed  a  fort.  This  fort  was  garrisoned,  at  the 
commencement  of  the  war,  by  a  small  company  of  British  reg- 
ulars, under  command  of  Captain  Roberts. 

When  war  was  declared,  there  was  an  unpardonable  neg- 
ligence on  the  part  of  the  War  Department  in  not  furnishing  the 
Western  frontiers  with  information  of  that  important  event. 
Owing  to  this  negligence,  the  English  at  Detroit  were  in  pos- 
session of  this  important  news  before  it  reached  the  American 
side,  and  the  English  commander,  taking  advantage  of  that 
fact,  hastened  to  transmit  the  intelligence  to  all  his  outposts, 
and  take  such  steps  as  would  best  secure  the  interests  of  the 
British  Crown.  Among  his  expedients  was  a  plan  for  an  im- 
mediate attack  on  Fort  Mackinac.  With  almost  incredible  dis- 
patch, a  messenger  was  sent  to  St.  Joseph,  bearing  a  letter  to 
Captain  Roberts,  which,  strange  to  say,  ^bs  franked  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  American  Treasury,  containing  the  information  of  the 
declaration  of  war,  and  also  the  suggestion  of  an  immediate 
attack  on  this  fort  as  the  best  means  of  defending  his  own. 

Roberts  was  but  poorly  prepared  for  an  enterprise  of  such 
moment ;  yet,  entering  warmly  into  the  views  of  his  superior 
officer,  and  being  cordially  supported  by  the  agents  of  the  two 
Western  Fur  Companies,  he  was  not  long  in  deciding  upon  his 
course.  Messengers  were  hastily  dispatched  to  the  Ottawas  and 
Chippewas,  two  neighboring  Indian  tribes,  who,  eager  for  strife, 
lOon  flocked  to  his  standard  in  large  numbers.     The  French, 


/ 


:♦% 


WAR  OP    l8l2. 


99 


m 


jealous 'of  the  Americans,  still  farther  augmented  his  strength, 
and,  in  the  short  space  of  eight  days,  he  had  a  force,  naval  and 
military,  of  more  than  a  thousand  at  his  command.  On  the 
i6th  day  of  July  he  embarked. 

Let  us  now  turn  our  attention  to  Fort  Mackinac.  The  first 
intimation  which  the  little  garrison  and  town  received  that  all  was 
not  right,  was  from  the  conduct  of  the  Indians.  In  obedience 
to  the  summons  of  Captain  Roberts,  they  were  going  toward 
the  Sault  in  large  numbers.  This  caused  some  uneasiness,  and 
Lieutenant  Hanks,  with  the  citizens  of  the  place,  made  every 
effort  to  learn  from  them  the  object  of  their  journey.  Several 
councils  were  called,  but  in  vain.  See'gee'noe,  Chief  of  the  Ot- 
tawas,  was  questioned  closely ;  but  not  a  word  could  be  elicited 
from  him  which  in  any  way  explained  their  conduct.  This 
caused  the  cloud  of  uncertainty  to  lower,  and  made  the  anxiety 
of  the  citizens  more  and  more  painful.  Failing  to  get  any  satis- 
faction from  the  Indians,  they  next  called  a  public  meeting  of 
the  citizens  to  consult  upon  the  matter,  and  it  was  resolved  to 
make  yet  another  effort  to  unravel  the  mystery. 

Mr.  Michael  Dousman,  an  American  fur-trader,  had  some 
time  before  sent  two  of  his  agents,  William  Aikins  and  John 
Drew,  into  the  Lake  Superior  region  to  trade  with  the  Indinns 
for  furs.  He  had  heard  of  their  return  to  the  Sault,  but  kne.  <•' 
no  reason  why  they  had  not  returned  to  head-quarters  on  thij 
island.  He  therefore,  on  the  i6th  of  July,  under  pretense  of 
ascertaining  the  reason  for  the  delay,  but  really  to  learn  what  it 
was  that  called  so  manv  or  the  Indians  in  that  direction,  set  out 
for  the  Sault,  starting  about  noon.  When  four  or  five  miles  this 
side  of  Detour,  he  learned  the  whole  truth ;  for,  meeting 
Captain  Roberts's  expedition,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  barely 
escaping  with  his  life. 

When  the  night  had  let  her  sable  curtain  fall  over  the  wide 
expanse  of  water  and  forest,  and  the  expedition  was  nearing  the 
island,  it  was  proposed  by  Captain  Roberts  to  send  one  Oliver,  a 
British  trader,  to  the  people  of  the  town,  to  inform  them  of  his 
approach  and  conduct  them  to  a  place  of  safety.     Mr.  Dousman 


i 


m 
ill 


ii 


n 


lOO 


OLD  AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 


now  urged  upon  Captain  Roberts  that  the  people  would  perhaps 
be  slow  to  believe  such  a  report  from  a  stranger,  and,  anxious  for 
the  safety  of  his  friends,  asked  leave  to  return  on  that  mission 
himself  This  he  was  permitted  to  do,  having  first  taken  oath 
that  he  would  not  give  information  of  their  approach  to  the  gar- 
rison. Separating  himself  from  his  captors,  he  returned  to  the 
harbor  in  front  of  the  town,  and,  an  hour  before  day,  proceeded 
to  the  house  of  Mr.  Ambrose  R.  Davenport,  and  rapped  loudly 
at  the  door.  Mr.  Davenport,  on  learning  who  was  at  the  door, 
exclaimed,  "  What,  Dousman,  have  you  come  back  ?"  and  rising 
hastily,  came  out.  "  Yes,"  replied  Dousman,  "  I  have  come 
back,  and  I  have  important  news  for  you."  After  extorting  from 
him  a  promise  of  secrecy,  he  proceeded  to  inform  him  that  war 
had  been  declared,  and  that  the  British  had  come  to  take  the  fort 
being  already  upon  the  island.  Judge  of  the  surprise,  we  may 
say  indignation,  of  the  citizens,  as,  one  by  one,  they  received  the 
information.  We  can  well  imagine  that  there  was  hurrying  tc 
and  fro  through  the  streets  of  Mackinac  on  that  eventful 
morning.  Fifty-eight  years  have  run  their  course,  and  nearly 
two  generations  of  the  human  family  have  passed  away  since 
that  time,  and  yet  we  can  see  the  anxious  faces  that  looked  out 
from  every  door  and  window  as  the  unwelcome  news  was 
whispered  in  the  ears  of  startled  sleepers.  "  What  can  it  mean  ?" 
is  eagerly  and  simultaneously  asked  by  every  two  that  meet ;  but 
not  a  man  in  Mackinac  can  unravel  the  mystery.  Word  is  cir- 
culated that  if  the  citizens  will  flee  to  the  distillery  they  shall  be 
safe.  Like  wild-fire  the  message  goes  from  mouth  to  mouth, 
until  every  man,  woman,  and  child  is  on  the  way  to  the  place 
designated.  ;. 

Meanwhile,  Captain  Roberts  proceeded  to  the  north-wesi 
side  of  the  island,  landed  his  forces,  and  began  his  march  to- 
ward the  fort.  At  the  farm  near  the  landing  they  took  possession 
of  a  number  of  cattle  belonging  to  Michael  Dousman,  who  then 
owned  the  farm,  and  before  the  dawn  of  day  reached  the  hollow 
which  may  be  seen  a  short  distance  to  the  rear  of  the  fort. 
Upon  a  little  ridge  which  separates  this  hollow  from  the  parade- 


WAR  OP   l8l2. 


101 


:•■-/» 


ground  (and  only  a  few  paces  from  it),  they  planted  a  gun  in  the 
road,  and  anxiously  awaited  the  approach  of  day. 

Inside  the  fort,  all  was  the  most  perfect  quiet ;  not  a  suspicion 
that  the  war-bugle  had  been  blown  found  a  place  in  a  single 
bosom,  though  the  enemy's  gun  was  even  then  pointing  over 
them  at  the  distance  of  but  a  few  rods.  The  dawn  appeared, 
and  the  unsuspecting  garrison  began  to  move.  As  Lieutenant 
Hanks  looked  out  from  his  quarters,  (the  same  as  are  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  commanding  officer),  he  was  struck  with  the  un- 
usual quiet  that  prevailed  in  the  town  below.  What  could  it 
mean  ?  No  smoke  went  curling  gracefully  upward  to  the  sky  as 
usual,  and  no  hurried  footsteps  were  in  the  streets.  Strange  I 
Something  evidently  was  wrong ;  and,  summoning  Lieutenant 
Darrow,  he  ordered  him  with  two  men  to  go  down  and  ascertain 
what  it  might  be.  Accordingly,  this  officer  descended  to  the 
town,  to  search  for  the  trouble.  He  prodeeded  on  his  way  until  he, 
too,  had  arrived  at  the  distillery,  when  the  truth  flashed  upon  him.  , 
Under  a  strong  guard,  which  had  been  sent  by  Captain  Roberts, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  place  were  awaiting  the  decision  that 
would  again  make  them  subjects  of  the  British  Crown.  Darrow  . 
entered  the  distillery,  and  shook  hands  with  its  inmates  ;  but  when 
he  proposed  to  return  to  the  fort,  the  guards  proposed  to  make 
him  prisoner.  Taking  a  pistol  in  each  hand,  and  demanding  • 
permission  to  retire,  he  faced  the  guard,  and,  followed  by  his 
men,  walked  backward  tili  beyond  their  reach,  when  he  returned 
without  molestation  to  the  fort. 

But  Lieutenant  Hanks  had  no  need  of  waiting  for  the  return 
of  Darrow  to  know  the  truth,  for  the  sharp  report  of  a  British 
gun  soon  told  him  all,  and  more  than  all,  that  he-  wished  to  ' 
know;  and  before  the  distant  forests  had  ceased  to  re-echo  the 
sound,  or  the  smoke  of  that  unwelcome  sunrise-gun  was  lost 
in  the  azure  vault  of  heaven,  a  British  officer,  with  flag  in  hand, 
appeared  and  demanded  a  surrender,  emphasizing  the  demand 
by  a  statement  of  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  invading 
army,  and  a  threat  of  indiscriminate  slaughter  by  the  savages  at 
the  first  motion  toward  resistance.  .  ^ 


i 


1 02 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


When  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  had  been  gathered  under 
guard,  at  the  distillery,  Messrs.  Davenport,  Abbct,  Bostwick, 
Stone,  and  John  Doysman,  who  were  among  the  leading  citizens, 
were  advised  to  go  at  once  to  the  landing  and  give  themselves 
up  to  Colonel  Dickson,  who  had  been  left  at  that  point  by  Cap- 
tain Roberts  for  that  purpose.  This  they  accordingly  did.  They 
were  then  urged  by  Colonel  Dickson  to  petition  Lieutenant 
Hanks  to  surrender  the  fort  at  once,  stating  that  the  Indians 
would  be  entirely  unmanageable  in  case  there  should  be  any 
resistance.     This  advice  they  also  followed. 

The  position  in  which  Hanks  was  now  placed  can  be  easily 
imagined.  Not  having  received  intelligence  of  the  declaration 
of  war,  he  was  wholly  off  his  guard,  and  unprepared  to  defend 
himself  The  British  troops,  though  less  in  number  than  the 
garrison  under  his  command,  had  a  position  which  commanded 
the  fort,  and  were  supported  by  nearly  a  thousand  Indian  war- 
riors, who  had  been  instructed  to  show  no  mercy  in  case  that  any 
resistance  was  made.  Such  being  the  case.  Lieutenant  Hanks 
surrendered  the  fort  without  even  the  ceremony  of  a  refusal,  and 
his  men  were  paroled  and  sent  to  Detroit. 

Some  blame  has  been  attached  to  the  conduct  of  Lieuten- 
ant Hanks  in  this  transaction.  It  has  been  claimed  that,  to  say 
the  least,  the  surrender  was  precipitate ;  that  some  experiment 
of  the  enemy's  power  to  take  the  fort  was  due  to  the  honor  of 
the  American  flag,  and  ought  to  have  been  made,  and  that  the 
result  would  probably  have  shown  "  that  an  invading  corps,  com- 
posed of  thirty  regulars  and  a  rabble  of  engagh  and  savages, 
with  twltold  rusty  guns  of  sn>all  caliber,  was  much  less  formi- 
dable than  had  been  imagined."  This  seems  very  plausible, 
especially  to  those  who  are  unacquainted  with  the  savage  bar- 
barities of  Indian  warfare  ;  but  when  it  is  considered  that  the 
first  act  of  resistance  would  probably  have  been  the  signal  for 
the  uplifting  of  a  thousand  tomahawks  and  the  brandish- 
ing of  a  thousand  scalping-knives,  we  hesitate  to  condemn  the 
conduct  of  Lieutenant  Hanks  in  thus  prompdy  making  the 
surrender.  ,      . 


.  « 


WAR   OF    l8l2. 


103 


Some  one  was  doubtless  to  blame.  It  was  an  unpardonable 
oversight  that  information  of  tjie  existence  of  war  was  not  im- 
mediately transmitted  to  the  fort,  and  thorough  preparation  made 
for  its  defense.  It  was  r  it,  perhaps,  the  most  flattering  indi- 
cation of  good  generalship  that  Lieutenant  Hanks  should  permit 
himself  to  be  thus  surprised.  He  was  on,  the  extreme  frontier, 
surrounded  by  Indian  nations  whom  he  knew  to  be  unfriendly 
and  treacherous,  and  but  a  few  miles  distant  from  the  inveterate 
enemies  of  the  American  flag,  whose  wounded  pride  made  them 
as  unscrupulous  as  the  savages  themselves,  and  he  should  not 
have  allowed  himself  to  be  thus  surprised.  Under  these  unfa- 
vorable circumstances,  his  vigilance  ought  to  have  saved  him  from 
the  humiliating  necessity  of  surrender;  but  after  the  English 
had  planted  their  guns  almost  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  fort, 
and  the  assembled  savages,  with  implements  of  death  in  their 
hands,  stood  ready  and  eager,  if  occasion  should  offer,  to  repeat 
the  bloody  scenes  of  1763  at  Old  Mackinac,  was  it  not  wise  in 
him  to  make  a  virtue  of  necessity,  and  permit  the  English  to  take 
peaceable  possession  of  the  fort  and  the  island  ?  We  leave  the 
reader  to  judge  for  himself  in  the  premises. 

When  the  fort  had  been  surrendered,  the  next  step  was  to 
assemble  the  citizens  at  the  government-house,  and  administer 
to  them  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  British  Crown.  Most  of 
them  willingly  took  this  oath ;  but  Messrs.  Davenport,  Bostwick, 
Stone,  Abbot,  and  the  Dousman  brothers  refused  to  turn  traitors 
to  the  country  of  their  choice.  With  the  exception  of  Michael 
Dousman,  who  was  permitted  to  remain  neutral,  these  men  were 
immediately  sent  away  with  the  soldiers,  and  were  not  permitted 
to  return  till  after  the  declaration  of  peace. 

The  services  of  Captain  Roberts  and  his  men,  in  thus  sur- 
prising and  capturing  Fort  Mackinac,  were  highly  appreciated 
and  liberally  rewarded  by  the  British  Government.  Prize-money 
to  the  amount  of  ten  thousand  pounds  was  divided  ,among  the 
volunteers  and  soldiers,  and  merchandise  and  arms  distributed 
to  the  Indians.  Sir  William  Johnson,  Esq.,  as  quoted  in  "  Old 
Mackinaw,"  tells  us  that,  in  1836,  he  "  examined  the  list  or  pay- 


Jt:! 

k 

m 

Pf 
Si 


104 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


roll  for  this  prize-money ;   the  names  of  all  those  who  partici 
pated  in  the  taking  of  Fort  Mackinac  were  there  enrolled,  the 
money  was  divided  according  to  rank,  and  each  person  receipted 
for  his  individual  share." 

Having  thus  easily  and  cheaply  succeeded  in  wresting  from 
the  American  people  their  most  important  Western  military  po- 
sition, the  English  at  once  set  about  the  work  of  strengthening 
themselves  in  their  new  possession.  Fearing  that  they  would 
not  he  able  to  hold  what  they  had  so  easily  gained,  they  hastened 
to  construct  a  fortification  on  the  crowning  point  of  the  island, 
which,  in  honor  of  their  reigning  sovereign,  they  dignified  with 
the  title  of  Fort  George.  The  remains  of  this  old  fori,  now 
called  Fort  Holmes,  may  still  be  seen  ;  and,  from  its  historical 
associations,  it  is  a  place  of  much  interest. 


i 


■'^^ 


WAR  OP    l8l2 — CO.'ICLUDKD. 


105 


:( 


CHAPTER  VII. 


WAR   OF   1812— CONCLUOBD. 

DURING  the  progress  of  the  war,  important  changes  took 
place  in  the  Territory  of  Mi'-higan.  Fort  Dearborn,  on 
the  south-western  extremity  of  L>iV.o  Michigan,  was  forgotten 
alike  by  the  Government  and  by  General  Hull,  until  about  the 
middle  of  July,  when  Captain  Heald,  its  commander,  was  or- 
dered to  "  dismantle  the  fort,  destroy  the  surplus  arms  and  am- 
munition, and  withdraw  the  garrison  to  Detroit."  But  in  the 
attempt  to  execute  this  order  the  displeasure  of  the  Indians  was 
incurred,  and  the  whole  garrison  either  killed  or  taken  prisoners. 
Through  the  ignorance  and  cowardice  of  General  Hull,  the  whole 
territory  was  finally  surrendered  to  the  English ;  but  the  dis- 
graceful act  roused  such  a  feeling  of  indignation  in  the  West, 
that  every  man's  clieek  burned  with  shame,  and  ten  thousand 
men  sprang  to  arms,  eager  for  a  sight  of  the  foe.  General  Har- 
rison was  placed  in  command,  and  the  tide  of  victory  soon 
turned  iu  favor  of  the  American  cause. 

On  the  tenth  day  of  September,  1813,  Commodore  Perry 
gained  his  brilliant  victory  on  Lake  Erie.  This  agiiin  opened 
the  way  to  the  territory  abandoned  by  Hull,  and  Harrison 
pressed  on  to  occupy  it.  The  British  army  retreated  before  him, 
and  he  entered  Detroit.  On  the  5th  of  October,  a  decisive 
victory  was  gained  over  the  combined  British  and  Indian  forces, 
known  as  the  victory  of  the  Thames,  in  which  Tecumseh,  the 
great  Indian  war-chief,  was  slain.  The  death  of  this  chief  broke 
up  the  alliance  of  the  Western  tribes,  and  opened  the  way  for 
treaties  of  peace. 

So  far  as  the  Ncrth  west  was  concerned,  the  war  wm  now 


\\ 


-hSmS'. 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


practically  closed ;  yet  there  was  one  post  of  great  importance 
which  had  not  been  wrested  from  the  English.  That  post  was 
at  the  head  of  the  lakes,  and  was  virtually  ihc  key  of  the  West 
Active  steps  were  soon  taken  to  dispossess  the  English  of  this 
stronghold,  and  drive  them  wholly  from  the  American  soil. 
Immediately  after  the  battle  of  the  Thames,  an  expedition  to 
the  upper  lakes  was  contemplated ;  hut,  unfortunately,  it  was 
prevented  by  the  non-arrival  of  two  schooners — the  Chippcivay 
and  Ohio — which  had  been  sent  to  Cleveland  and  Bass  Islands 
for  provisions.  These  vessels  had  arrived  off  Maiden  ;  but  a 
storm  from  the  west  drove  them  to  the  lower  end  of  the  lake, 
where  they  were  stranded. 

Early  in  the  following  April,  1814,  this  expedition  up  Lake 
Hmon  was  again  proposed,  the  object  being  twofold — the  cap- 
ture of  Fort  Mackinac  and  the  destruction  of  certain  vessels, 
which  it  was  said  the  English  were  building  in  Gloucester,  or 
Matchadash  Bay,  at  the  southeast  extremity  of  the  lake.  But 
this  plan  was  also  abandoned,  partly  from  a  want  of  men, 
partly  from  the  belief  that  Great  Britain  did  not,  as  had  been 
supposed,  intend  to  make  an  effort  to  regain  the  command 
of  the  upper  lakes,  and  partly  also  from  a  misunderstanding 
between  General  Harrison  and  Colonel  Croghan,  who  com- 
manded at  Detroit,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Secretary  of  War 
on  the  other.  No  sooner,  however,  had  the  plan  of  April  been 
abandoned  than  it  was  revived  again,  in  consequence  of  new 
information  of  the  establishment  at  Matchadash  Bay. 

In  obedience  to  orders  issued  upon  the  second  day  of  June, 
ample  preparations  were  soon  made.  A  squadron  was  fitted 
out,  consisting  of  the  United  States  sloops  of  war  Alaf^ara  and 
Lawretice,  carrying  twenty  guns  each,  with  the  smaller  schoon- 
ers, Caledonia^  Scorpion,  Ti(:;rcs!;,  Detroit,  and  others,  and  a 
land  force  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  men  placed  on  board. 
Commodore  Sinclair  was  the  naval  commander,  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Croghan,  a  young  man  who  had  gallantly  and  success- 
fully defended  Sandusky  during  the  early  part  of  the  war,  had 
charge  of  the  militi-i.     Ambrose  R.  D.'wenport  v.'ho,  two  years 


i    I 


it- 


WAR  OF    l8i2 — CONCLUDED. 


107 


lis 


before,  had  been  sent  away  from  Mackinac  on  account  of  his 
loyalty,  was  chosen  to  accompany  the  expedition  as  quarter- 
master and  guide.  On  the  third  day  of  July,  when  all  was 
ready,  and  fair  winds  had  proffered  their  needed  assistance,  the 
sails  were  spread  and  the  fleet  sped  joyfully  on  its  course. 
DifBculties  encountered  on  the  flats  of  Lake  St.  Clair,  and  the 
rapid  current  of  the  river,  prevented  the  squadron  from  reach- 
ing Lake  Huron  till  the  12th.  High  hopes  of  success  and 
bright  anticipations  of  glory,  cheered  the  hearts  of  officers  and 
men  as  that  fleet  of  sloops  and  schooners,  the  largest  that  had 
ever  ventured  out  upon  the  bosom  of  Lake  Huron,  proudly 
shaped  its  course  for  Matchadash  Bay.  Disappointment,  how- 
ever, awaited  them.  Every  possible  effort  was  made  to  gain 
the  desired  bay,  and  destroy  the  imaginary  vessels  there  build- 
ing, but  in  vain.  No  pilot  could  be  found  for  that  unfrequented 
part  of  the  lake.  Islands  and  sunken  rocks  were  numerous, 
and  threatened  destruction  to  the  fleet.  The  lake  was  almost 
continually  covered  with  an  impenetrable  fog,  and  from  the 
time  already  consumed  in  the  fruitless  attempt,  the  provisions 
of  the  army  were  growing  short.  Hence,  that  part  of  the  work 
was  abandoned,  and  the  squadron  pushed  on  toward  the  head- 
waters of  Huron. 

When  nearing  the  place  of  destination,  a  council  was  called 
to  decide  whether  they  should  proceed  at  once  to  the  capture 
of  Fort  Mackinac,  or  first  repair  to  St.  Joseph's,  and  destroy 
the  enemy's  works  at  that  point.  It  was  urged  that  an  immedi- 
ate attack  upon  the  fort  was  policy,  inasmuch  as  the  English, 
having  had  no  intimation  of  their  approach,  were  probably 
without  Indian  allies,  and  unprepared  to  defend  the  island; 
that,  should  they  first  proceed  to  St.  Joseph's,  time  would  thus 
be  given  the  English  to  call  in  these  savage  auxiliaries,  and 
BO  strengthen  themselves  that,  upon  their  return,  it  would  be 
difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  take  the  place.  But  Sinclair 
thought  that,  by  leaving  a  part  of  the  squadron  to  cruise  round 
the  island  during  his  absence,  this  could  be  prevented  ;  hence, 
in  Bpite  of  salutary  advice  from  those  who  knew  the  Indian 


•>K£i^ 


It 


io8 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


character  far  better  than  themselves,  it  was  agreed  between 
the  naval  and  military  commanders  to  proceed  at  once  to  St. 
Joseph's.  This  was  a  fatal  error.  As  well  attempt  to  prevent 
insects  from  flying  through  the  air  by  holding  up  the  hand, 
as  to  think  of  hindering  Indians  in  their  approach  to  the  island 
with  two  or  three  gun-boats  anchored  in  as  many  different 
places  about  it. 

On  the  2oth  of  July  they  arrived  at  St.  Joseph's,  and  found 
the  British  establishment  at  that  point  deserted.  This  they 
bumed,  but  left  untouched  the  town  and  North-west  Com- 
pany's storehouses.  While  wind-bound  at  this  point,  Sinclair 
captured  the  North-west  Company's  schooner  Mink,  from 
Mackinac  to  St.  Mary's,  with  a  cargo  of  flour,  and  by  this 
means  received  intelligence  that  the  schooner  Perseverance 
was  lying  above  the  Falls  of  St.  Mary,  at  the  foot  of  Lake 
Superior,  in  waiting  to  transport  the  Mink's  cargo  to  Fort 
Williams. 

Upon  the  receipt  of  this  information,  he  dispatched  Lieu- 
tenant Turner,  an  active  and  enterprising  officer,  to  capture 
her,  and,  if  possible,  get  her  down  the  falls.  Colonel  Croghati 
detached  Major  Holmes  with  a  party  of  regulars  to  co-operate 
in  the  expedition,  in  which  the  capture  of  St.  Mary's  was  in- 
cluded. The  following  official  report  of  Lieutenant  Turner,  to 
Sinclair,  will  give  the  reader  a  clear  idea  of  what  was  effected 
by  this  movement.  It  is  dated  "U.  S.  Schooner  Scorpion,  off 
Michilimackinac,  July  28,  1814:" 


"  Sir, — I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that,  agreeable  to 
your  orders  of  the  2 2d  instant,  I  proceeded  on  the  expedition 
to  Lake  Superior  with  the  launches.  I  rowed  night  and  day; 
but,  having  a  distance  of  sixty  miles,  against  a  strong  current, 
information  had  reached  the  enemy  at  St.  Mary's  of  our  ap- 
proach about  two  hours  before  I  arrived  at  that  place,  carried 
by  Indians  in  their  light  canoes ;  several  of  whom  I  chased,  and 
by  firing  on  them  and  killing  some,  prevented  their  purposes  j 
some  I  captured  and  kept  prisoners  until  my  arrival,  others 


WAR  OF    l8l2 — CONCLUDED. 


109 


escaped.  The  force  under  Major  Holmes  prevented  any  thing 
like  resistance  at  the  fort,  the  enemy,  with  their  Indians,  carry- 
ing with  them  all  the  light  valuable  articles,  peltry,  clothes, 
etc.  I  proceeded  across  the  strait  of  Lake  Superior  without 
a  moment's  delay;  and  on  my  appearance,  the  enemy,  finding 
they  could  not  get  off  with  the  vessel  I  was  in  quest  of,  set  fire 
to  her  in  several  places,  scuttled,  and  left  her.  I  succeeded  in 
boarding  her,  and  by  considerable  exertions  extinguished  the 
flames,  and  secured  her  from  sinking.  I  then  stripped  her  and 
prepared  for  getting  her  down  the  falls.  Adverse  winds  pre- 
vented my  attempting  the  falls  until  the  26th,  when  eveiy  poS' 
sible  effort  was  used,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  without  success,  to 
get  her  over  in  safety.  The  fall  in  three-quarters  of  a  mile  is 
forty-five  feet,  and  the  channel  very  rocky;  the  current  runs 
from  twenty  to  thirty  knots,  and  in  one  place  there  is  a  per- 
pendicular leap  of  ten  feet  between  three  rocks ;  here  she 
bilged,  but  was  brought  down  so  rapidly  that  we  succeeded  in 
running  her  on  shore  below  the  rapids  before  she  filled,  and 
burned  her.  She  was  a  fine  new  schooner,  upward  of  one  hun- 
dred tons,  called  the  Perseverance,  and  will  be  a  severe  loss  to 
the  North-west  Company.  Had  I  succeeded  in  getting  her 
safe,  I  could  have  loaded  her  to  advantage  from  the  enemy's 
storehouses.  I  have,  however,  brought  down  four  captured 
boats  loaded  with  Indian  goods  to  a  considerable  amount ;  the 
balance,  contained  in  four  large  and  two  small  storehouses,  were 
destroyed,  amounting  in  value  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars.  All  private  property  was,  according  to  your  orders, 
respected.  The  officers  and  men  under  my  command  behaved 
with  great  activity  and  zeal,  particularly  midshipman  Swartwout. 
"I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  with  gfreat  respect,  your 
obedient  servant,  Daniel  Turner." 


On  the  return  of  the  launches  to  St.  Joseph's,  the  squadron 
proceeded  to  Mackinac,  where  it  arrived  on  the  26th.  During 
the  time  that  had  now  elapsed  since  the  first  appearance  of 
the  fleet  off  Light-house  Point,  Colonel  M'Donall,  British  Com- 


A:  - 

:•%;■•••■;.  ,"■■'■ 

no 

OLD   AND  NEW   MACKINAC 

T    ■  ■ 

mander  at  Mackinac,  had  not  been  disinclined  to  make  the 
most  of  the  opportunity  thus  afTorded  him  for  strengthening 
his  position.  Every  thing  had  been  put  in  the  most  perfect 
order;  weak  points  in  the  fortifications  had  been  strengthened, 
and  such  aid  as  the  country  afforded  had  been  summoned  to 
his  assistance.  Nor  was  this  aid  inconsiderable.  Under  the 
unfortunate  circumstances  attending  the  attack,  more  efficient 
auxiliaries  could  not  have  been  found  than  those  very  savages 
who,  during  that  brief  period  of  delay,  had  gathered  in  large 
numbers  upon  the  island.  Batteries  had  been  planted  at  vari- 
ous places  on  the  heights  which  best  commanded  the  approaches 
to  the  island.  One  was  situated  on  the  height  overlooking  the 
old  distillery,  another  upon  the  high  point  just  west  of  the  fort, 
and  others  along  the  ridge  back  of  the  present  town  from  the 
fort  to  Robinson's  Folly.  Thus  that  officer,  though  he  had 
6ut  few  men  comparatively  in  command,  and  must  have  sur- 
rendered at  once  had  an  immediate  attack  been  made  upon 
him,  was  able,  with  the  advantage  he  had  now  gained,  to  with- 
stand a  strong  force. 

Various  feelings  agitated  the  inhabitants  of  the  place  as  the 
squadron  neared  the  island.  Some  had  two  years  before  parted 
with  friends  with  whom  they  now  hoped  to  be  reunited,  while 
others,  who  had  turned  traitor  to  the  American  flag,  justly 
feared  the  gallows,  should  the  approaching  expedition  succeed  in 
taking  the  fort. 

Sinclair  pushed  up  as  near  to  the  channel  between  Round 
and  Mackinac  Islands  as  he  dared  on  account  of  the  batteries 
of  the  enemy,  and  as  close  to  the  eastern  extremity  of  Round 
Island  as  safety  would  permit,  and  anchored.  Scarcely,  how- 
ever, had  the  anchors  reached  the  bottom,  when  the  English 
opened  a  brisk  fire  upon  him,  and  though  he  imagined  himself 
beyond  the  reach  of  harm  from  that  source,  the  balls  that  were 
falling  around  him  and  whizzing  over  his  head  told  him  that  he 
must  take  a  more  respectful  distance,  or  be  destroyed.  When 
the  fleet  had  been  removed  farther  away  toward  Bois  Blanc,  out 
of  the  reach  of  the  enemy's  guns,  Croghan  dispatched  an  officer 


WAR  OF    l8 1 2-— CONCLUDED. 


Ill 


with  a  number  of  men,  and  Mr.  Davenport  as  guide,  to  Round 
Island,  to  reconnoiter  the  enemy's  position,  and  if  possible  find 
some  advantageous  point  at  which  to  erect  a  battery.  Having 
landed,  the  party  proceeded  cautiously  across  the  island  until 
they  came  to  the  point  nearest  Mackinac  Island,  when  they 
began  their  return.  They  had  selected,  as  the  most  advan- 
tageous position  for  a  battery,  a  point  just  above  the  old  lime- 
kiln seen  from  this  village,  which  is  the  crowning  point  of  the 
island.  No  sooner,  however,  had  the  movement  been  discovered 
by  the  British  than  two  or  three  hundred  birch -bark  canoes 
with  several  batteaux  and  other  boats,  were  launched,  and  a 
large  party  of  Indians  started  in  pursuit.  They  were  not  long 
in  gaining  the  island.  The  party,  suspicious  of  the  approach 
of  the  Indians,  hastened  back  toward  their  boa^;  but  the  island 
was  just  at  that  time  covered  with  a  plentiful  crop  of  rasp- 
berries, and  the  men,  ignorant  of  the  foe,  loitered  somewhat,  in 
spite  of  all  that  could  be  said  to  them.  When  they  reached 
their  boat,  the  Indians  could  be  seen  skulking  through  the 
woods  after  them,  and  one  of  their  number,  a  Frenchman,  who 
had  been  more  heedless  than  the  rest,  had  been  captured.  They 
now  sprang  into  their  boat,  and,  we  may  believe,  pushed  off 
with  as  much  dispatch  as  possible ;  but  at  a  short  distance  from 
the  beach,  scarcely  out  of  reach  of  the  enemy's  fire,  the  boat 
struck  a  rock  which  was  just  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water, 
and  swung  around  as  though  upon  a  pivot.  At  this  the  savages, 
who  were  fast  emerging  from  the  thickets  and  approaching  the 
beach,  fired  upon  them.  The  fire  was  returned,  but  without 
execution  on  either  side.  Fearing  that  the  Indians,  upon  arriv- 
ing at  the  point  from  which  they  had  embarked,  would  be  able  to 
reach  them,  the  officer  ordered  the  soldiers  to  cease  firing  and 
endeavor  to  clear  the  boat  from  the  rock.  This  they  accom- 
plished with  a  little  exertion,  and  returned  without  further  mishap 
to  the  fleet. 

Upon  learning  that  one  of  the  party  sent  out  had  been 
captured  by  tlie  Indians,  Sinclair  ordered  a  small  vessel  of  one 
gun  to  pass    round  to  the    farther  -sido  of  the  island,  that,  if 


#. 


iii 


\  \ 


iia 


OLD  AND   NEW  MACKINAC. 


possible,  he  might  be  retaken.  A  strong  wind  was  blowing  fmm 
the  west,  against  which  the  little  bark  must  make  her  way 
through  the  narrow  channel  that  separates  Round  and  Bois  Blanc 
Islands  ;  hence,  the  task  was  difficult.  She  had  scarcely  laid  her 
course  when  the  beach  was  thronged  with  savages,  and  as  often 
as  she  came  in  reach,  in  beating  through  this  channel,  these 
avages  poured  upon  her  a  shower  of  musket-balls.  This  com- 
pliment was  returned  with  much  spirit ;  but,  aside  from  the  injury 
done  the  vessel,  neither  party  suffered  loss. 

The  Indians  now  began  their  return  to  Mackinac  with  their 
victim,  chanting  the  death-dirge.  A  shot  was  fired  at  them 
from  the  Lawrence  (anchored  west  of  Round  Island),  but  with- 
out effect.  As  they  neared  the  island,  the  Indians  that  had 
remained  came  down  to  meet  them,  and  the  prisoner  would 
have  been  killed  and  feasted  upon  by  his  inhuman  captors,  had 
not  the  British  commander  sent  a  strong  guard  of  soldiers  and 
rescued  him,  the  moment  the  canoes  touched  the  beach. 

During  the  next  day,  as  the  Lawrence  was  cruising  about  the 
island,  a  thick  fog  suddenly  came  down,  and  enveloped  all  in 
obscurity.  When,  later  in  the  same  day,  this  fog  lifted,  her 
commander  found  that  he  was  within  a  very  short  distance  of 
the  south-west  part  of  the  island,  with  scarcely  any  wind,  and 
within  range  of  the  enemy's  guns.  A  vigorous  fire  was  opened 
upon  him  from  the  battery  near  the  west  end  of  the  fort,  but 
with  such  want  of  skill  that  he  suffered  no  damage  from  it.  He 
fired  a  single  shot  in  return,  but  could  not  elevate  his  guns 
sufficiently  to  batter  the  walls  of  the  fort.  Unfavorable  weather 
prevented  further  operations  for  several  days. 

Colonel  Croghan,  having  now  learned  something  of  the 
strength  of  the  enemy's  fortifications,  and  of  the  number  and 
spirit  of  the  savage  allies  which  the  English  had  called  to  their 
assistance,  despaired  of  being  able  to  take  the  place  by  storm, 
as  he  had  hoped.  He  therefore  determined  to  effect  a  landing 
and  establish  himself  on  some  favorable  position,  whence  he 
might  annoy  the  enemy  by  gradual  and  slow  approaches,  under 
cover  of  his  artillery,  which  he  knew  to  be  superior  to  that  of 


WAR  OF    l8l2 — CONCLUDED. 


115 


the  foe.  This  he  desired  to  attempt  on  the  south-western  side 
of  the  island,  not  far  from  that  part  of  the  present  village  known 
as  Shanty  Town.  The  shore  there  was  unobstructed,  and  the 
ascent  to  the  high  table-land  on  which  stands  the  fort  compara- 
tively easy ;  there  were  no  coverts  near,  from  which  the  savages 
might  pour  upon  them  a  deadly  fire  ;  there  was  no  thick  under- 
growth to  be  penetrated,  in  which  might  be  laid  the  murderous 
ambuscade.  If  any  attack  should  be  made  upon  them  on  their 
way  from  the  place  of  landing  to  the  fort,  it  must  be  in  an  open 
field  and  with  a  chance  for  a  fair  fight,  which  Colonel  Croghan 
knew  to  be  contrary  to  every  principle  of  Indian  warfare. 

But  there  was  one  objection  which  Sinclair  urged  against  a 
disembarkation  at  this  point.  The  positions  which  his  vessels 
would  be  obliged  to  take  in  order  to  effect  it,  would  expose  them 
to  the  fire  of  the  fort,  while  he  could  not  elevate  his  guns  suf- 
ficently  to  do  the  enemy  any  injury.  Hence,  the  idea  was 
abandoned,  and  it  was  decided  to  land  on  the  north-west  side 
of  the  island,  where  Captain  Roberts  had  landed  two  years 
before. 

A  more  unfortunate  movement  than  this  could  not  possibly 
have  been  made.  The  island,  which  is  about  three  miles  in 
diameter,  is  mostly  covered  with  an  almost  impervious  growth  of 
small  trees.  A  better  Indian  battle-field  could  not  be  found 
than  what  might  be  selected  even  to-day  on  this  island.  But  if 
we  step  back  across  the  chasm  of  more  than  half  a  century,  and 
view  it  as  it  was  when  that  little  fleet  was  hovering  around  its 
beach  in  search  of  a  safe  and  convenient  landing,  we  shall  see  a 
very  material  change  in  it,  as  a  whole,  and  that  change  we  shall 
find  to  be  favorable  to  the  purposes  of  savage  warfare.  We  can 
not  suppose  that  the  ax  has  lain  idle  for  more  than  fifty  years, 
that  there  has  been  no  multiplication  and  enlargement  of  clear- 
ings, no  thinning  out  of  dense  forests,  no  widening  of  Indian 
trails  into  wagon-roads.  Indeed,  authentic  information,  as  well 
as  reason,  tells  us  that  at  that  time  the  island  was  little  less  than 
a  labyrinth.     The  mass  of  vegetation  which  every  where  covered 


it  was  intersected  bv  fo 


by  foot-paths  and  occasional  cart-roads,  but 
ft 


8 


^; 


114 


OLD   AND  NEW  MACKINAC. 


these  were  ill  adapted  to  the  wants  of  even  a  small  army  on  the 
march.  The  clearings  were  small,  and  could  serve  only  as  so 
many  slaughter-pens,  in  which  the  American  troops  might  be 
butchered  by  blood-thirsty  and  unprincipled  barbarians,  concealed 
in  the  adjacent  thickets.  Who  does  not  see  that,  on  such 
ground,  every  Indian  was  more  than  a  match  for  the  best-disci- 
plined soldier,  and  that  the  large  number  of  these  savage  auxil- 
iaries which  the  British  commander  had  been  able  to  collect 
during  the  absence  of  the  fleet  was  far  superior  to  any  equal 
re-enforcement  of  regular  troops  he  could  have  received?  By 
thus  landing  at  a  point  nearly  opposite  the  fort.  Colonel  Croghan 
was  compelled,  amidst  these  embarrassing  obstacles,  to  traverse 
nearly  the  whole  width  of  the  island  in  order  to  reach  the  British 
position.  It  was  a  forlorn  hope.  No  superiority  of  generalship 
could  effect  against  such  obstacles ;  no  perfection  of  military 
discipline  could  counterbalance  these  dense  thickets,  swarming 
with  fiends  in  human  form. 

Colonel  Croghan  was  too  well  acquainted  with  Indian  military 
tactics,  and  also  with  that  dastardly  spirit  of  cowardice  which 
for  years  had  made  the  English  the  instigators  of  the  most 
atrocious  and  bloody  deeds  that  had  ever  stained  the  character 
of  a  savage,  to  be  wholly  unaware  of  the  dangers  before  him. 
But,  nothing  daunted  by  these  difficulties,  this  gallant  officer  pre- 
pared to  disembark  his  forces,  hoping  to  gain  the  clearing  near 
the  landing,  and  there  fortify  himself,  thus  compelling  the  British 
to  attack  him  in  his  stronghold. 

On  the  4th  of  August,  the  vessels  of  the  fleet  were  ranged 
in  line,  at  the  distance  of  three  hundred  yards  from  the  beach, 
and  the  small  boats  made  ready  to  carry  the  devoted  army  to  the 
island.  Scarcely,  however,  had  the  work  of  disembarkation 
begun,  when  the  adjacent  thickets  were  observed  to  be  full  of 
savages,  plumed  and  painted  for  the  strife.  When  all  was 
ready,  and  the  word  of  command  had  been  spoken,  they  moved 
toward  the  landing  with  measured  dip  of  the  oar,  and  meanwhile 
a  brisk  cannonading  cleared  the  thickets  of  their  lurking  foes. 
Under  cover  of  the  guns  the  landing  was  easily  eflected,  and  the 


WAR  OF    l8l2 — CONCLUDED. 


"5 


best  possible  arrangement  of  the  troops  made,  preparatory  to  the 
marching.  ,  I 

While  the  American  squadron  had  been  cruising  about  the 
island,  the  English  had  taken  every  precaution  to  secure  them- 
selves against  surprise.  Guards  had  been  stationed  at  short  in- 
tervals around  the  entire  island,  and  every  road  and  bridle-path 
intersecting  the  island  had,  with  one  exception,  been  effectually 
blockaded.  The  road  running  from  the  rear  gate  of  the  fort 
back  to  Early's  (then  M.  Dousman's)  farm  was  alone  left  free. 
As  soon  as  it  became  evident  that  the  Americans  intended  to 
effect  a  landing,  the  whole  Indian  force,  with  the  Canadians  and 
most  of  the  soldiers,  moved  back  to  that  part  of  the  island  to 
resist  the  attempt. 

After  we  have  passed  through  the  gate  on  our  way  to  Early's 
farm-house,  we  see  upon  our  left  an  orchard  through  which  runs 
a  little  ridge,  crossing  the  road  at  right  angles.*  This  ridge,  at 
the  time  of  which  we  write,  formed  the  boundary-line  of  the 
clearing  on  the  east.  North  and  west  from  the  house  was  a 
swamp,  since  converted  into  a  meadow.  Upon  the  south  and 
south-west  the  clearing  was  the  same  as  now,  only  more  circum- 
scribed. The  British  troops  were  posted  in  the  edge  of  the 
woods  south  from  the  road,  and  behind  the  elevation  mentioned, 
while  in  the  road,  on  the  ridge,  a  battery  was  planted.  To  the 
north  and  south  of  the  clearing,  the  Indians,  with  an  occasional 
vagabond  trader  more  brutal  even  than  themselves,  lay  con- 
cealed in  large  numbers. 

Colonel  Croghan,  having  quickly  formed  his  line,  had  ad- 
vanced to  the  edge  of  the  clearing,  or  farm,  when  intelligence 
reached  him  that  the  enemy  was  in  waiting  for  him,  and  ready 
to  dispute  his  progress.  In  a  few  seconds  after  he  received  this 
information,  a  fire  was  opened  upon  him  from  the  enemy's 
battery.  He  now  carefully  surveyed  the  clearing  before  him,  and 
became  convinced  that  the  enemy's  position  was  well  selected ; 
but,  by  a  vigorous  movement,  he  hoped  to  outflank  him,  and  gain 


•  See  Man  of  Mack'.nac  Island,  fig.  3. 


Ii6 


OLJi  AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 


hU  '"^r.  Accordingly,  he  di  ided  to  change  his  own  position, 
whiu  ^^s  then  "  two  lines,  the  militia  forming  the  front,"  and 
advance,  M-y//  Holuios's  battalion  of  regul  i  on  the  right  of  the 
militia.  This  movement  was  immediately  ordered,  and,  to  en- 
courage his  men.  Major  Holmes  led  them  in  person  ;  but,  while 
gallantly  pressing  on  to  the  charge,  a  destructive  fire  was  opened 
by  some  Indians  concealed  in  a  thicket  near  the  American 
right,  and  the  brave  Major  Holmes  fell,  mortally  wounded. 
Captain  Desha,  the  officer  next  in  rank,  also  received  a  very 
severe,  though  not  fatal,  wound.  The  battalion  having  now  lost 
tiie  services  of  its  most  valuable  officers,  fell  into  confusion,  from 
which  the  best  exertions  of  its  remaining  officers  were  not  able 
to  recc'ver  it. 

Findi»>g  it  impossible  'to  gain  the  enemy's  left,  owing  to  the 
impenetrable  thickness  of  the  woods,  a  charge  was  ordered  to 
be  made  by  the  regulars  immediately  against  the  front.  This 
charge,  though  made  in  some  confusion,  served  to  drive  the 
enemy  back  into  the  woods,  whence  an  annoying  fire  was  kept 
up  by  the  Indians.  Lieutenant  Morgan  was  now  ordered  up 
with  a  light  piece,  to  assist  the  left,  nhich  av  this  time  was  par- 
ticularly galled,  and  the  excellent  service  of  this  piece  forced  the 
enemy  to  retire  to  a  greater  distance. 

Croghan  had  now  reached  the  point  at  which  he  had  hoped 
to  fortify  himself,  and  thence  harass  the  enemy  at  pleasure ;  but 
he  found  it  by  no  means  tenable  on  account  of  the  thickets  and 
ravines  surrounding  it.  He  therefore  determined  no  longer  to 
expose  his  troops  to  the  fire  of  an  enemy  having  every  advan- 
tage which  could  be  obtained  from  number? ,  and  a  knowledge  oi 
the  position,  and  ordered  an  immediate  retreat  to  the  place  •.' 
landing.  When  the  troops  had  regained  the  shipping,  the  fleet 
again  moved  round  toward  Bois  Blanc,  and  anchored. 

While  li  -  forces  were  preparing  to  disembark,  previous  to 
the  engagemet  Mv,  Davenport  had  urged  Major  Holmes  to  ex- 
change his  ui^ifo  ".  lor  a  .'^mmon  suit,  stating  that  the  Indians 
would  otherv.ist'  c  rti  ,;'.y  make  a  mark  of  him;  but  Holmes 
replied  that  his  uni' cna  was  made  to  wear,  and  he  intended  to 


WAR  OF    l8l2— CONCLUDRD. 


117 


wear  it,  adding  that  if  it  was  his  day  to  fall,  he  was  willing. 
The  sequel  showed  how  unwise  he  was  in  not  listening  to  this 
advice.  The  party  of  Indians  posted  on  the  right  were  Winne- 
bagoes  from  Green  Bay — the  most  savage  and  cruel  of  all  the 
British  allies  ;  and  they,  indeed,  did  make  a  mark  of  him.  Five 
we!!-aimed  bullets  simultaneously  entered  his  breast,  and  he  ex- 
pired almost  instantly.  Captain  Desha  also  felt  the  fury  of  these 
savages,  but  fortunately  escaped  with  his  life.  Captain  Vauhorn 
and  Lieutenant  Jackson,  both  brave,  intrepid  young  men,  also 
fell  mortally  wounded  at  the  head  of  their  respective  commands. 
Twelve  privates  were  killed,  six  sergeants,  three  corporals,  one 
musician,  and  twenty-eight  privates  wounded,  and  two  privates 
missing. 

The  most  shocking  barbarities  were  practiced  on  the  bodies 
of  the  slain.  They  were  literally  cut  to  pieces  by  thei  rsavage 
conquerors.  Our  informant  remembers  seeing  the  Indians  come 
to  the  fort  after  the  engagement,  some  with  a  hand,  some  with  a 
head,  and  some  with  a  foot  or  limb  ;  and  it  is  officially  stated  by 
Sinclair,  upon  the  testimony  of  two  ladies  (Mrs.  Davenport  and 
Mrs.  John  Dousman),  who  were  present  and  witnessed  it,  that 
the  hearts  and  livers  of  these  unfortunate  men  were  taken  out, 
and  "  actually  cooked  and  feasted  on — and  that,  too,  in  the 
quarters  of  the  British  officers,  sanctioned  by  Colonel  M'Donall — 
by  the  savages."  Fragments  of  these  bodies  were  taken  to 
the  Indian  graveyard  west  of  the  village,  and  placed  on  poles 
over  the  graves,  where  they  remained  for  ten  days.  Fortunately, 
however,  the  body  of  Major  Holmes — which,  by  neglect  of  the 
soldiers  in  whose  hands  it  had  been  placed,  had  been  left  on  the 
field — escaped  the  sad  fate  of  the  others.  During  the  action 
these  men  concealed  the  body  by  covering  it  with  rails  and 
leaves,  so  that  the  Indians  did  not  find  it.  It  had,  however, 
been  stripped  ;  but  in  this  case  the  British  commander  acted  with 
promptness  and  humanity,  threatening  to  hang  the  perpetrators, 
should  they  be  found  out,  if  the  articles  taken  were  not  imme- 
diately .0  turned.  This  threat  soon  brought  the  clothes,  watch, 
papers,  etc.,  which   had  been  stolen  by  two  Frenchmen,  into 


'  1  i 


1, 1^; 


fti 


u. 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


;  i 


his  possession ;  and,  with  the  body,  they  were  given  up  to  the 
Americans. 

Thus,  in  loss  and  disgrace,  ended  the  effort  to  wrest  Fort 
Mackinac  and  the  island  upon  which  it  stands  from  the  English. 
When  the  fleet  first  appeared  off  Light-house  Point,  there  was 
but  a  single  company  of  troops  in  the  fort,  and  but  few,  if  any, 
Indian  auxiliaries  upon  the  island,  and  had  Colonel  Croghan  at 
once  demanded  a  surrender  instead  of  at  first  going  to  St. 
Joseph's,  the  post  would  doubtless  have  passed  back  into  the 
hands  of  the  Americans  without  shedding  of  blood,  and  with  as 
little  parley  as,  two  years  before,  it  had  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  English.  Or,  had  a  prompt  and  willing  surrender  been 
refused,  a  vigorous  attack  must  have  quickly  reduced  the  gar- 
rison to  the  necessity  of  yielding,  as  the  American  force  was 
greatly  superior  to  the  English.  But  the  delay  was  pregnant 
with  disaster  and  disgrace.  Each  moment  in  which  the  enemy 
was  permitted  to  strengthen  his  defenses  and  increase  his  num- 
bers, diminished  fearfully  the  chances  of  success.  Even  after 
the  return,  had  the  landing  been  made  at  the  point  desired  by 
Colonel  Croghan,  defeat  might  have  been  avoided,  as  under 
those  circumstances  the  Indian  allies  would  have  been  nearly 
useless  ;  but  as  it  was,  defeat  was  almost  a  necessity.  An  army 
of  iron  men  could  scarcely  have  traversed  the  whole  breadth  of 
this  island  under  the  rapid  and  continuous  shower  of  musket- 
balls  which  would  have  been  poured  upon  them,  without  faltering 
and  falling  into  confusion. 

Having  failed  in  the  reduction  of  Fort  Mackinac,  which  Sin- 
clair denominated  a  "  perfect  Gibraltar,"  measures  were  now 
taken  to  starve  it  into  submission,  by  cutting  off  its  supplies. 
The  troops,  with  the  exception  of  three  companies,  were  dis- 
patched in  two  vessels  to  join  General  Brown  on  the  Niagara, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  s^'"iadron,  a  pilot  having  been  now  se- 
cured, directed  its  course  to  the  east  side  of  the  lake,  to  break  up 
any  establishments  which  the  enemy  might  have  in  that  quarter. 
While  the  Americans  were  masters  of  Lake  Erie,  there  were 
only  two  oracticabh  lines  of  communication  between  the  remote 


WAR  OF    1812 — CONCLUDED. 


119 


garrison  of  Fort  Mackinac  and  the  lower  country.  The  first  of 
these  was  with  Montreal  by  way  of  the  Ottawa,  Lake  Nippising, 
and  French  River,  and  the  second  with  York  by  means  of  Lake 
Simcoe  and  the  Nautauwasaga  River.  Having  learned  that  the 
first  of  these  communications  was  impracticable,  at  that  season 
of  the  year,  on  account  of  the  marshy  state  of  the  portages,  they 
proceeded  to  the  mouth  of  the  Nautauwasaga,  in  hopes  of  find- 
ing the  enemy's  schooner  Nancy,  which  was  thought  to  be  in  that 
quarter.  On  the  13th  of  August,  the  fleet  anchored  off  the  mouth 
of  that  river,  and  the  troops  were  quickly  disembarked  for  the 
purpose  of  fixing  a  camp  on  the  peninsula  formed  by  the  river  and 
the  lake.  On  reconnoitering  the  position,  the  schooner  was  dis- 
covered in  the  river,  a  few  hundred  yards  above,  under  cover  of 
a  block-house  erected  on  a  commanding  situation  on  the  opposite 
shore.  On  the  following  morning  a  fire  was  opened  by  the  ship- 
ping upon  the  block-house,  but  with  little  effect,  owing  to  a  thin 
wood  which  intervened  and  obscured  the  view.  But  about  twelve 
o'clock  two  howitzers  were  landed,  and,  placed  within  a  few 
hundred  yards  of  the  block-house,  commenced  throwing  shells. 
In  a  few  minuter  one  of  these  shells  burst  in  the  block-house 
and  shortly  after  blew  up  the  magazine,  allowing  the  enemy 
scarcely  time  to  make  his  escape.  The  explosion  of  the  maga- 
zine set  fire  to  a  train  which  had  been  laid  for  the  destruction 
of  the  vessel,  and  in  a  few  minutes  she  was  enveloped  in  flames, 
and  her  valuable  cargo,  consisting  of  several  hundred  barrels  of 
provisions,  intended  as  a  six  months'  supply  for  the  garrison  at 
Mackinac,  was  entirely  consumed. 

Colonel  Croghan  did  not  think  it  advisable  to  fortify  and 
garrison  Nautauwasaga,  because  the  communication  from  York 
was  so  short  and  convenient  that  any  force  left  there  might  be 
easily  cut  off"  during  the  Winter  j  hence,  Sinclair  left  the  Tigress 
and  Scorpion  to  blockade  it  closely  until  the  season  should  be- 
come too  boisterous  for  boat  transportation,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  squadron  returned  to  Detroit. 

But  this  blockade,  which,  had  it  been  properly  enforced, 
Riust  speedily  have  nriade  a  bloodless  conquest  of  Mackinac* 


<  I 


).t  M 


IJI.    , 


Ml 


120 


OLD  AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 


was  soon  brought  to   an  end  by  the  capture  of  both  these 
schooners. 

After  the  destruction  of  the  Nancy,  her  captain,  with  several 
of  his  men,  at  once  repaired  to  Fort  Mackinac  to  communcate 
the  news  of  the  loss  to  Colonel  M'Donall  and  the  little  garrison 
under  his  command.  Under  the  circumstances,  it  was  unwel- 
come news  indeed.  Provisions  were  already  getting  low ;  a 
single  loaf  of  bread  was  worth  one  dollar  and  a  half,  the  men 
were  subsisting  on  half  rations,  and  had  already  been  reduced 
to  the  necessity  of  killing  several  horses  to  ward  off  starvation. 
And,  worse  than  all,  a  long  and  dreary  Winter  was  near  at  hand, 
portending,  under  the  circumstances,  nothing  but  death  from 
starvation.  Something  must  be  done  ;  and  accordingly  an  ex- 
pedition was  at  once  fitted  out  by  Colonel  M'Donall,  consisting 
of  a  force  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  sailors  and  soldiers,  and  two 
hundred  and  fifty  Indians,  in  open  boats,  to  break  the  blockade, 
if  possible.  When  this  party  had  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
American  vessels,  the  Tigress,  which  for  several  days  had  been 
separated  from  the  Scorpion,  was  surprised  and  boarded  during 
the  night  of  September  3d,  it  being  very  dark,  and  after  a 
desperate  hand  to  hand  struggle,  in  which  some  were  killed  and 
several  wounded,  was  captured.  During  the  contest,  an  attempt 
was  made  by  the  Americans  to  destroy  the  signal-book,  but, 
unfortunately,  without  success  ;  and  by  the  aid  of  this  book  the 
Tigress,  now  manned  by  English  officers  and  men,  surprised 
and  captured  the  Scorpion  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  at  dawn 
of  day.  This  was  a  finishing  stroke  to  the  ill-fated  enterprise, 
and  Mackinac  was  left  secure  in  the  hands  of  the  English  until 
peace  was  declared. 

During  the  following  Winter,  1814-15,  peace  was  concluded 
between  the  belligerent  nations,  and  in  the  Spring  the  post  was 
evacuated  by  the  English,  and  a  company  of  American  troops, 
under  Colonel  Chambers,  took  peaceable  possession. 


MAI'  OF   MACKINAW    ISLAND. 

1.  Rattle  Ground.  4.     Place  of  Burial 

2.  Position  of  American  gun.       5.     Parade  Ground. 

3.  Position  of  British  ^un,  6.     Fort  Mackinac. 


•J,     Mission  Mouse. 
8.     Island  House. 
Q,     School  House. 


MACKINAC   ISLAND. 


121 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


MACKINAC    ISLAND. 

THIS  island,  as  far  back  as  we  have  any  account  of  it, 
has  been  a  place  of  great  interest.  It  received  its  orig- 
inal name  from  the  Indians.  An  old  legend  relates  that  a 
large  number  of  these  people  were  once  assembled  at  Point 
St.  Ignace,  and,  while  intently  gazing  at  the  rising  of  the  sun, 
during  the  Great  Manitou,  or  February  Moon,  they  beheld  the 
island  suddenly  rise  up  from  the  water,  assuming  its  present 
form.  From  the  point  of  observation,  it  bore  a  fancied  resem- 
blance to  the  back  of  a  huge  turtle ;  hence,  they  gave  it  the 
name  Moc'che'ne'mock'e'nung,  which  means  a  great  turtle. 
This  name,  when  put  into  a  French  dress,  became  Michilimack- 
inac.  From  the  island  it  passed  to  the  adjacent  points.  In 
some  connections  in  the  early  history,  the  name  is  applied  to 
the  section  as  a  whole;  in  others,  to  the  point  north  of  the 
Straits  J  but  more  frequently  to  that  south  of  the  Straits,  now 
known  as  Old  Mackinac.  The  term  is  now  obsolete,  except 
as  applied  to  the  county  which  lies  immediately  north  of  the 
Straits,  in  which  the  island  is  included.  The  island  has  now 
taken  upon  itself  the  name  of  Mackinac,  pronounced  Mack- 
inaw ;  ac  is  the  original  French  termination. 

Indian  mythology  makes  this  island  the  home  of  the  Giant 
Fairies;  hence,  the  Indians  have  always  regarded  it  with  a 
species  of  veneration.  The  day  is  still  within  the  memory  of 
many  individuals  now  living  on  the  island  when  the  heathen 
Indians,  in  passing  to  and  fro  by  its  shores,  made  offerings  of 
tobacco  and  other  articles  to  these  Great  Spirits,  to  propitiate 
their  good-will.     These  fairies,  we  are  told,  had  a  subterranean 


r^iiii 


122 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


abode  under  the  island,  the  entrance  to  which  was  near  the 
base  of  the  hill,  just  below  the  present  southern  gate  of  the 
fort.  An  old  Indian  Chees'a'kee,  or  Spiritualist,  who  once 
encamped  within  the  limits  of  the  present  garrison,  is  related 
to  have  visited  this  abode  of  the  fairies  under  the  following 
circumstances :  During  the  night,  while  wrapped  in  the  uncon- 
sciousness of  a  sound  slumber,  one  of  these  spirits  approached 
the  place  where  he  was,  laid  his  shadowy  hand  upon  him,  and 
beckoned  him  to  follow.  In  obedience  to  the  mysterious  re- 
quest, his  spirit  left  the  body,  and  went  with  the  fairy.  Together 
they  entered  into  the  mystic  dwelling-place  of  the  spirits.  Here 
the  Cheesakee  was  introduced  to  the  Great  Spirits  assembled 
in  solemn  conclave.  He  was  lost  in  wonder  and  admiration  at 
what  he  saw  around  him.  The  place  where  they  were  assem- 
bled seemed  to  be  a  very  large  and  beautiful  wigwam.  After 
spending  some  time  in  the  fairy  abode,  the  master-spirit  of  the 
assembly  directed  one  of  the  lesser  spirits  to  show  the  Indian 
out,  and  conduct  him  back  to  his  body.  What  were  the  pro- 
ceedings of  that  assembly,  the  Indian  could  not  be  induced 
to  tell,  nor  were  the  particulars  of  what  he  saw  during  that 
mysterious  visit  ever  made  knt.'wn  to  his  fellow  red-men.  From 
their  fairy  abodes,  these  spirits  issued  forth  at  the  twilight 
hour  to  engage,  "with  rapid  step  and  giddy  whirl,  in  their  mystic 
dance." 

Something  of  the  feeling  of  veneration  which  the  red  men 
had  for  this,  to  them,  enchanted  island,  may  be  learned  from 
the  following  soliloquy  of  an  old  Indian  chief.  He  was  just 
leaving  the  island  to  visit  his  friends  in  the  Lake  Superior 
country.  The  shades  of  night  were  falling  around  him,  and 
the  deep-blue  outlines  of  the  island  were  dimly  shadowed  forth. 
As  he  sat  upon  the  deck  of  the  steamer  and  watched  the 
"lovely  isle"  fast  receding  from  his  view,  memory  was  busy 
in  recalling  the  scenes  of  by-gone  days,  and  the  emotions  of 
his  heart  found  expression  in  these  words : 

"  Moc'che'ne'mock'e'nung,  thou  isle  of  the  clear,  deep-water 
lake,  how  soothing  it  is,  from  amidst  the  curling  smoke  of  my 


MACKINAC   ISLAND. 


123 


opawgun  (pipe),  to  trace  thy  deep  blue  outlines  in  the  distance; 
to  call  from  memory's  tablets  the  traditions  and  stories  con- 
nected with  thy  sacred  and  mystic  character!  How  sacred  the 
regard  with  which  thou  hast  been  once  clothed  by  our  Indian 
seers  of  by-gone  days !  How  pleasant  in  imagination  for  the 
mind  to  picture  and  view,  as  if  now  present,  the  time  when 
the  Great  Spirit  allowed  a  peaceful  stillness  to  dwell  around 
thee ;  when  only  light  and  balmy  winds  were  permitted  to  pass 
over  thee,  hardly  ruffling  the  mirror  surface  of  the  waters  that 
surrounded  thee ;  or  to  hear,  by  evening  twilight,  the  sound  of 
the  Giant  Fairies  as  they,  with  rapid  step  and  giddy  whirl, 
dance  their  mystic  dance  on  thy  limestone  battlements !  Noth- 
ing then  disturbed  thy  quiet  and  deep  solitude  but  the  chipper- 
ing  of  birds  and  the  rustling  of  the  leaves  of  the  silver-barked 
birch."  But  these  fairy  spirits  have  long  since  deserted  their 
island  home,  and  gone,  we  know  not  where ;  and  the  race  of 
beings  in  whose  imagination  they  lived  has  also  well-nigh 
passed  away. 

From  Father  Marquette's  description  of  the  island,  given  in 
a  previous  chapter,  we  learn  that  it  was  often  the  chosen  home 
of  the  savage  tribes.  Marquette  was  doubtless  the  first  white 
man  to  visit  it,  or  at  least  to  dwell  upon  it.  The  first  perma- 
nent white  settlement  on  this  island  was  made  in  1780,  when 
the  fort  and  town  were  removed  to  this  point,  not  because  of 
its  superiority  in  a  commercial  or  military  point  of  view,  but 
for  the  security  which  it  afforded  against  the  surrounding 
Indian  tribes.  Had  that  one  event  of  June  4,  1763,*  never 
occurred,  this  island  would  no  doubt  have  still  been  in  the 
hands  of  nature,  and  the  fort  and  town  at  "Old  Mackinac," 
where  they  properly  belong. 

Contrary  to  the  treaty  of  1783,  the  English  held  possession 
of  the  "sland  until  1795,  when  they  were  compelled  to  give  it 
up.  The  size  and  population  of  the  town  has  varied  at  differ- 
ent stages  of  its  history.     In  1820  it  consisted  "of  about  one 


*  See  page  6a. 


iii 


v^. 


124 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


hundred  and  fifty  houses,  and  some  four  hundred  and  fifty  per- 
manent inhabitants."  At  that  time  there  was  no  school,  no 
rehgious  service,  no  attorney,  and  no  physician  (other  than  at 
the  garrison)  in  the  place.  There  were,  however,  courts  of 
law,  a  post-office,  a  jail,  and  one  or  more  justices  of  the  peace. 
At  present,  there  are  about  nine  hundred  inhabitants,  many  of 
whom  are  engaged  in  fishing,  and  absent  during  a  greater  part 
of  the  Summer. 

The  most  interesting  feature  of  the  island,  since  the  war  of 
i8i2,  has  been  its  connection  with  the  fur-trade  carried  on  by 
John  Jacob  Astor,  Esq.,  of  New  York.  Previous  to  1S09,  an 
association  of  traders  existed,  called  the  Mackinac  Company ; 
but  at  that  date  Mr.  Astor  organized  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany. Two  years  after  this,  he  bought  out  the  Mackinac  Com- 
pany, and  established  a  new  Company  known  as  the  South-west. 
During  the  Winter  of  18 15  and  18 16,  Congress  enacted  a  law 
that  no  foreigner  should  engage  in  trade  with  the  Indians  who 
did  not  become  a  citizen,  and  after  this  Mr.  Astor  again  estab- 
lished the  American  Company.  This  Company  was  organized 
with  a  capital  of  two  million  dollars.  It  had  no  chartered  right 
to  a  monopoly  of  the  Indian  trade,  yet  by  its  wealth  and  influ- 
ence it  virtually  controlled  that  trade  through  a  long  series  of 
years.  The  outposts  of  the  Company  were  scattered  through- 
out the  whole  West  and  North-west.  This  island  was  the  great 
central  mart.  The  goods  were  brought  to  the  Company's  store- 
houses at  this  point  from  New  York  by  way  of  the  lakes,  and 
from  Quebec  and  Montreal  by  way  of  the  Ottawa,  Lake  Nipis- 
sing,  and  French  River,  and  from  this  point  they  were  dis- 
tributed to  all  the  outposts;  while  from  all  the  Indian  countries 
the  furs  were  annually  brought  down  to  the  island  by  the  Com- 
pany's agents,  whence  they  were  sent  to  New  York,  Quebec, 
or  the  various  markets  of  the  Old  World.  The  traders  and  their 
clerks  who  went  into  "  the  countries "  were  employed  by  the 
Company  at  a  salary  of  from  four  to  six  hundred  dollars  per 
year,  but  the  engagis  or  boatmen  who  were  engaged  in  Canada, 
generally  for  five  years,  received,  besides  a  yearly  supply  of  a 


MACKINAC   ISLAND. 


125 


few  coarse  articles  of  clothing,  less  than  one  hundred  dollars  per 
annum.  Generally,  at  the  end  of  five  years,  the  poor  voyageurs 
were  in  debt  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  which 
thejf  must  pay  before  they  could  leave  the  country;  and  the 
trader  often  took  advantage  of  this,  even  encouraging  the  men 
to  get  in  debt,  that  they  might  avoid  the  necessity  of  introduc- 
ing new  and  inexperienced  men  into  the  country.  The  men 
were  fed  mainly  on  soup  made  of  hulled  corn,  or  sometimes  of 
peas,  with  barely  tallow  enough  to  season  it,  and  without  salt, 
unless  they  purchased  it  themselves  at  a  high  price.  The  goods 
were  put  up  in  bales  or  packs  of  about  eighty  pounds  each,  to 
be  carried  into  the  countries.  Upon  setting  out,  a  certain  num- 
ber of  these  packs  were  assigned  to  each  boatman,  which  he 
must  carry  upon  his  back  across  the  portages,  some  of  which 
were  fifty  miles  over.  They  performed  the  journeys  over  these 
portages  by  short  stages,  or  by  carrying  the  packs  but  a  short 
distance  at  a  time,  thus  never  permitting  their  goods  to  be 
separated.  The  route  of  travel  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi was  by  way  of  Lake  Huron,  -St.  Mary's  River,  I,ake 
Superior,  and  such  rivers  as  would  take  them  nearest  the  par- 
ticular points  to  which  the  various  parties  had  been  assigned. 
The  valleys  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri  were  reached 
by  way  of  Green  Bay,  Fox,  and  Wisconsin  Rivers.  The  traders 
often  occupied  nearly  the  whole  Summer  in  the  trip  from  their 
trading-posts  to  Mackinac  and  back. 

Mr.  Astor's  principal  agent  on  this  island  was  Ramsey 
Crooks,  to  whom,  with  others,  he  sold  out  in  1834  ;  but  the  trade 
now  lacked  the  energy  and  controlling  influence  which  Mr. 
Astor  had  given  it,  and  the  Company  soon  became  involved.  In 
1848,  the  business  was  closed,  and  the  property  sold.  In  its 
best  days,  the  business  was  one  of  mammoth  proportions ;  but  it 
exists  now  only  in  history. 

Schoolcraft  gives  the  following  description  of  the  state  of 
society  in  1820 :  "  Society  at  Michilimackinac  consists  of  so 
many  diverse  elements,  which  impart  their  hue  to  it,  that  it  is  not 
easy  for  a  passing  traveler  to  form  any  just  estimate  of  it.    The 


mm 
''ft.  I' 

:*  Si 


i-^'-i 


m 


fi 


m 


m 


I 


126 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


I 


V' 


1*1 


Indian,  with  his  plumes  and  gay  and  easy  costume,  always  im- 
parts an  Oriental  air  to  it.  To  this  the  Canadian — <;ay,  thought- 
less, ever  bent  on  the  present,  and  caring  nothing  for  to-morrow — 
adds  another  phase.  The  trader,  or  interior  clerk,  who  takes  his 
outfit  of  goods  to  the  Indians,  and  spends  eleven  months  of  the 
year  in  toil  and  want  and  petty  traffic,  appears  to  dissipate  his 
means  with  a  sailor-like  improvidence  in  a  few  weeks,  and  then 
returns  to  his  forest  wanderings,  and  boiled  corn,  pork,  and  wild 
rice  again  supply  his  wants.  There  is,  in  these  periodical  resorts 
to  the  central  quarters  of  the  Fur  Company,  much  to  remind  one 
of  the  old  feudal  manners,  in  which  there  is  proud  hospitality  and 
a  show  of  lordliness  on  the  one  side,  and  gay  obsequiousness  and 
cringing  dependence  on  the  other,  at  least  till  the  annual  bar- 
gains for  the  trade  are  closed." 

The  elements  of  the  present  population  are  much  the  same 
as  during  the  palmy  days  of  the  fur-trade.  Indians,  primitive 
possessors  of  the  "  beautiful  isle,"  are  still  present,  and  corvtitute 
no  inconsiderable  portion  of  the  inhabitants.  Many  of  tie  old 
French  and  English  voyageurs,  who  have  spent  the  best  part  of 
their  lives  in  the  employ  of  the  fur-trade,  are  also  living  upon 
the  island.  The  population  is  mixed.  English,  French,  and 
Indian  blood  frequently  flows  in  the  veins  of  the  same  family. 
Aside  from  the  original  population,  there  are  several  very  ex- 
cellent families,  who  have  come  to  the  place  at  a  comparatively 
recent  date. 

The  town  itself  is  a  perfect  curiosity.  It  is  situated  at  the 
foot  of  the  bluff,  upon  the  brow  of  which  stands  the  fort,  and 
extends  for  the  distance  of  about  a  mile  around  the  beach.  It 
contains  two  churches,  four  good  hotels,  capable  of  accommo- 
dating from  thirty  to  two  hundred  guests  each,  seven  stores,  and 
four  or  five  groceries,  about  one  hundred  dwelling  houses,  a  post- 
office,  court-house,  and  jail.  Some  of  the  buildings  are  of  modern 
architecture,  but  others  are  antique  in  design  and  appearance. 
There  are  buildings  yet  standing,  parts  of  which  were  brought 
from  Old  Mackinac  when  the  town  and  fort  were  removed  from 
tliat  point,  while  several  of  the  houses,  some  of  which  are  yet 


I 


j.,' 

'4i: 

!  n'  *>' 

h'' 

' 

pi 

r 

i 

1    •:| 

u 

I 


MACKINAC    ISLAND. 


127 


occupied,  were  standing  during  the  troubled  and  exciting  scenes 
of  i8i3.  Many  ot  the  fences  are  of  the  original  palisade  style. 
Let  us  make  the  circuit  of  the  town,  starting  from  the  docks. 
As  we  proceed  along  the  beach  toward  the  West,  we  see  build- 
ings of  every  description,  from  the  most  modern  style  down  to 
the  shanty  with  clapboards  and  shingles  of  bark.  Beyond  the 
extreme  western  limits  of  Shanty  Town  is  the  site  of  the  old 
distillery,  where,  in  1812,  the  terrified  and  trembling  inhabitants 
were  gathered  for  safety  while  Captain  Roberts,  with  his  savage 
allies,  should  possess  himself  of  the  fort  and  island.  Above  this 
is  the  old  Indian  burying-ground,  where  still  sleeps  the  moldering 
dust  of  many  a  brave  son  of  the  forest.  Retracing  our  steps,  we 
turn  to  the  left  and  pass  through  Shanty  Town,  principally  oc- 
cupied Ly  r.shermen,  who  are  absent  during  most  of  the  Summer. 
The  fis|iing-grounds  extend  from  Drummond's  Island,  near 
Detour,  around  the  north  shores  of  Huron  and  Michigan  to 
Green  Bay,  including  the  islands  in  the  northern  portion  of  both 
these  lakes.  As  we  return  to  the  town,  on  the  back  street  we 
notice  on  the  right  the  old  Catholic  burying-ground,  upon  which 
once  stood  the  old  log  church  brought  from  Old  Mackinac  after 
the  massacre.  Farther  along,  upon  the  same  side  of  the  road,  is 
an  antique  house  with  huge  stone  chimneys  and  dormer  win- 
dows, which,  during  the  war  of  1812,  was  occupied  by  Dr. 
Mitchell.  Mitchell  was  a  traitor,  and  after  the  return  of  peace, 
had  to  leave  the  island  and  country  for  Canada.  Adjoining  the 
court-house  is  the  old  store-house  of  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany, which  was  the  place  of  deposit  and  point  of  departure  for 
all  the  merchandise  of  that  Company.  The  adjacent  building, 
now  the  M'Leod  House,*  was  put  up  by  the  Company  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  clerks  when  they  came  out  of  the  Indian 
countries  during  the  Summer. 

Returning  now  to  the  point  from  which  we  set  out,  let  us 
make  our  way  toward  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  town.  The 
large  garden  upon  our  left  as  we  leave  the  business  portion  of 

*  See  map,  fig.  la 


iii'il 
lilll 


'"'^i^ 


t  r 


I  i:k 


128 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


the  town,  belongs  to  the  fort.  It  is  cultivated  by  the  soldiers 
of  the  garrison,  and  does  much  toward  supplying  them  with 
vegetables  of  almost  every  variety.  Potatoes,  beets,  carrots, 
radishes,  onions,  cabbage,  cucumbers,  etc.,  are  produced  in 
great  abundance  and  of  the  best  quality.  Cherries,  currants, 
strawberries,  and  other  small  fruits  also  grow  plentifully  in  this 
nd  other  gardens ;  and  from  one  tree,  standing  near  the  fort 
barn,  twenty-two  barrels  of  apples  were  taken  at  a  single 
gathering,  a  few  years  since.  In  this  garden  is  the  site  of 
the  old  government  or  council  house,  the  first  building  ever 
erected  upon  the  island. 

Adjoining  the  garden  on  the  east  is  the  old  agency  prop- 
erty.* The  house  was  erected  about  fifty  years  ago  by  the  Gov- 
ernment, as  a  residence  and  office  for  the  United  States  Indian 
Agent.  For  many  years  all  the  Indian  payments  were  made  in 
this  building,  which  was  thus  made  to  subserve  the  same  gen- 
eral purpose  as  the  old  government-house.  The  other  building, 
called  the  dormitory',  now  occupied  by  the  union-school  of  the 
place,t  was  erected  by  the  Government  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  Indians  during  their  periodical  visits  to  the  island  for 
the  purpose  of  receiving  their  annuities,  but  never  much  used 
by  them.  The  next  building  which  attracts  particular  attention 
is  the  Catholic  church.  This  was  at  first  a  small  log  building, 
erected  in  1832  by  Father  Mazzuchelli,  but,  with  two  enlarge- 
ments, it  has  grown  to  its  present  dimensions.  The  society  is 
now  contemplating  the  erection  of  a  new  and  more  commodious 
edfice. 

At  the  extreme  eastern  end  of  the  town  is  the  mission  t  prop- 
erty, now  in  possession  of  Mr.  E.  A.  Franks,  the  house  being 
kept  by  him  as  a  hotel.  The  history  of  this  mission  is  briefly  as 
follows :     In  the  month  of  June,  in  the  year  1820,  the  Rev.  Dr. 


•  Burned  since  above  was  written. 

tThis   i)uilding  has  now  lieen  donated  to  the  citizens  of  Mackinac   for 
■chool  purposes. 
t  See  map,  fig.  7. 


1 

i 

i 

1 
i 

f 

1 

f- 

1 

'«' 

1 


MACKINAC   ISLAND. 


129 


Morse,  father  of  the  inventor  of  the  telegraph,  visited  this  island, 
and  preached  the  first  Protestant  sermon  ever  delivered  in  this 
portion  of  the  North-west.  Becoming  particularly  interested  in 
the  condition  of  the  traders  and  natives,  he  made  a  report  of 
his  visit  to  the  United  Foreign  Mission  Society  of  New  York,  in 
consequence  of  which  the  Rev.  W.  M.  Ferry,  a  graduate  of 
Union  College,  was  sent  in  1822  to  explore  the  field.  In  1823, 
Mr.  Ferry,  with  his  wife,  opened  a  school  for  Indian  children 
which,  before  the  close  of  the  year,  contained  twelve  scholars. 
In  1826,  the  school  and  little  church  passed  into  the  hands  of 
the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  and 
as  Mackinac  was  easy  of  access  to  the  Indians  of  the  lakes  and 
the  Upper  Mississippi,  it  was  determined  to  make  it  a  central  sta- 
tion, at  which  there  should  be  a  large  boarding-school,  composed 
of  children  collected  from  all  the  North-western  tribes.  These 
children  were  expected  to  remain  long  enough  to  acquire  a  com- 
mon-school education  and  a  knowledge  of  manual  labor.  Shops 
and  gardens  were  provided  for  the  lads,  and  the  girls  were  trained 
for  household  duties.  The  first  report  of  the  mission  made  to 
the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  was 
at  the  meeting  held  in  New  York  in  September,  1827.  It  con- 
tained the  following  facts :  Number  of  teachers,  eight ;  Rev. 
William  M.  Ferry,  Superintendent ;  Mr.  John  S.  Hudson,  teacher 
and  farmer ;  Mr.  Heydenburk  and  wife,  Mrs.  Hudson,  Miss 
Eunice  Osmer,  Miss  Elizabeth  M'Farland,  and  Miss  Delia 
Cooke,  teachers  ;  there  were  one  hundred  and  twelve  scholars  in 
the  school,  who  had  been  collected  from  the  whole  region  ex- 
tending from  the  white  settlements  south  of  the  Great  Lakes  to 
Red  River  and  Lake  Athabasca ;  there  had  been  several  inter- 
esting cases  of  conversion  ;  French  priests  had  occasionally  vis- 
ited the  region,  and  opposed  the  mission  to  the  extent  of  their 
power. 

During  the  Winter  of  1828-9,  *  revival  influence  prevailed. 
Thirty-three  were  added  to  the  Church,  and  ten  or  twelve  others 
appeared  to  have  become  penitent  for  sin.  Instances  of  con- 
version occurred  even  in  the  d».*plhs  of  the  wilderness,  among 


h 


^W^^ 


II 


=:,:|;|f 


I30 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


the  traders.  The  Church  now  numbered  fifty-two  members — 
twenty-five  of  Indian  descent  and  twenty-seven  whites,  exclusive 
of  the  mission  family.  The  establishment  continued  prosperous 
for  several  years.  At  times  there  were  nearly  two  hundred  pupils 
in  the  school,  among  whom  were  representatives  of  nearly  all 
the  Indian  tribes  to  the  north  and  west. 

Owing  to  the  great  expense  of  the  school,  the  plan  was  mod- 
ified in  1833,  the  number  of  scholars  being  limited  to  fifty,  and 
smaller  stations  commenced  in  the  region  beyond  Lake  Superior 
and  the  Mississippi.  In  1834,  Mr.  Ferry  was  released  from  the 
mission ;  und  in  1837,  the  population  having  so  changed  around 
Mackinac,  and  the  resort  of  the  Indians  to  the  island  for  pur- 
poses of  trade  having  so  nearly  ceased  that  it  was  no  longer  an 
advantageous  site  for  an  Indian  mission,  the  enterprise  was 
abandoned. 

The  mission-house  was  erected  in  1825,  and  the  church  in 
1829-30.  After  the  close  of  the  mission,  the  property  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  present  occupant.  We  can  not  say  how 
much  or  how  little  was  accomplished  by  this  mission ;  the  reve- 
lations of  eternity  alone  will  give  full  and  reliable  information  on 
this  point.  We  only  know  that  many  who  would  otherwise  have 
been  left  in  ignorance  and  heathenism  are  indebted  to  the  Chris- 
tian eflforts  of  these  missionaries  for  a  knowledge  both  of  the  arts 
and  sciences,  and  of  the  way  of  salvation. 

Having  now  made  the  circuit  of  the  town,  we  are  ready  for 
the  two  forts.  Fort  Mackinac,  which  stands  on  a  rocky  eminence 
just  above  the  town,  was  built  by  the  English  ninety  years  ago. 
It  is  now  garrisoned  by  a  small  company  of  United  States  troops 
under  the  command  of  Brevet  Major  Leslie  Smith.  There  are 
six  brass  pieces,  and  arms  and  accouterments  for  a  full  company. 
The  buildings  are  a  hospital,  just  outside  the  wall  east  of  the 
fort ;  a  guard-house,  near  the  south-gate ;  officers'  quarters,  near 
the  south-west  angle  of  the  fort,  and  on  the  hill  near  the  flag- 
staff; quarters  for  the  men,  in  the  center;  block-houses  on  the 
walls;  magazine,  in  the  hollow,  not  far  from  the  south  gate; 
gtorehouses,  offices,  etc.    There  are  persons  yet  living  on  the 


MACKINAC  ISLAND. 


131 


island  who,  during  the  troubles  of  18 14,  took  refuge  in  these 
self-same  block-houses.  Passing  out  at  the  rear  gate  of  Fort 
Mackinac,  we  cross  the  parade-ground,  and  see  the  spot  where 
Captain  Roberts  planted  his  guns  in  18 12,  while  his  whole  force 
of  Indians  was  concealed  in  the  adjacent  thickets. 

Half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  rear  of  Fort  Macki- 
nac, on  the  crowning  poin*-  of  the  island,  is  Fort  Holmes.  This, 
as  we  have  seen,  was  buiic  soon  after  the  British  captured  the 
post  in  18 1 2.  Each  citizen  was  compelled  to  give  three  days' 
work  toward  its  construction.  When  finished,  the  excavation 
encircling  the  embankment,  or  earthworks,  was  much  broader 
and  deeper  than  now,  and  the  embankment  itself  was  lined  on 
the  outside  by  cedar  poles,  reaching  from  the  bottom .  of  the 
ditch  to  its  top ;  while  a  quarter  or  a  third  of  the  distance  from 
the  top  of  the  embankment  to  ..he  bottom  of  the  -ditch,  cedar 
pickets  interlocked  with  these  poles,  which  extended  out  over 
the  ditch  like  the  eaves  of  a  house,  making  it  absolutely  im- 
possible for  any  one  to  get  inside  the  fort  except  by  the  gate. 
The  place  of  the  gate  is  seen  on  the  east  side,  one  of  the  posts 
yet  remaining  to  mark  its  position.  In  the  center  of  the  fort 
was  erected  a  huge  block-house,  beneath  which  was  the  maga- 
zine. Near  the  gate  was  the  entrance  to  several  underground 
cellars,  which  have  now  caved  in.  The  fort  was  defended  by 
several  small  guns,  the  largest  of  which  was  an  eighteen  pounder, 
placed  on  the  point,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  cellars  from  the 
fort.  They  undertook  to  dig  two  wells  j  but,  finding  no  water  at 
the  depth  of  one  hundred  feet,  they  became  discouraged,  and 
relinquished  the  attempt. 

The  foit,  we  are  told,  presented  a  very  fine  appearance  when 
finished.  It  was  first  named  Fort  George ;  but,  after  the  surren- 
der of  the  island  to  the  Americans,  it  was  called  Fort  Holmes, 
in  memory  of  the  lamented  Major  Holmes,  who  fell  as  before 
recorded.* 

t 

After  the  return  of  the  Americans,  a  party  of  officers,  wishing 


*Se«  pace  11& 


^<                ■        -    ■■'■'     "              ■           "      ■                            ■■■"■":.■              ■        ■-    ■     ,                                -    ■'                   '                                                                   .'  ■     '-       .'     - 

132                              OLD  AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 

1 

to  see  what  they  could  do,  planted  a  gun  at  the  rear  gate  of  Fort 
Mackinac,  and  made  the  block-house  in  Fort  Holmes  a  mark. 

They  soon  tore  this  monument  of  English  absurdity  in  pieces, 
showing  how  ill-adapted  the  fort  was  to  the  purposes  intended. 
The  fragments  of  the  building  were  afterward  removed  to  the 
foot  of  the  hill  beneath  Fort  Mackinr.c,  and  made  into  a  bam, 

which  is  yet  standing. 

•                                                   1 

V 

! 

1 

'   i 

;-y-                                               1                                       ..... 

• 

V 

1 

1 

1' 

\ 

.'    ".1 

?ort 
irk. 
ces, 
led. 
the 
arn, 


*  * 


r 


ARCH   ROCK. 


MACKINAC  ISLAND— COVCLUDBD. 


133 


CHAPTER  IX. 


MACKINAC    ISLAND-CONCLUDED. 

THI^  natural  scenery  of  the  island  of  Mackinac  is  unsur- 
passed. Nature  seems  to  have  exhausted  herself  in  the 
clustered  objects  of  interest  which  every-where  meet  the  eye. 
The  lover  of  nature  may  wander  through  the  shaded  glens,  and 
climb  over  the  rugged  rocks  of  this  island  for  weeks,  and  even 
months,  and  never  grow  weary  j  for  each  day  some  new  object  of 
beauty  and  interest  will  attract  his  attention.  As  you  approach 
the  island,  it  appears  a  perfect  gem.  A  finer  subject  for  an 
artist's  pencil  could  not  be  found.  In  some  places  it  rises 
almost  perpendicularly  from  the  very  water's  edge  to  the  height 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  while  in  others  the  ascent  is 
gradual.  Parts  of  the  island  are  covered  with  a  small  growth  of 
hard-wood  trees — beech,  maple,  iron-wood,  birch,  etc. — while 
other  parts  abound  in  a  rich  variety  of  evergreens,  among  which 
spruce,  arbor-vitae,  ground-pine,  white-pine,  balsam,  and  juniper 
predominate.  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft,  Esq.,  who  first  visited  the 
island  in  1820,  thus  speaks  of  it: 

"  Nothing  can  exceed  the  beauty  of  this  island.  Tc  is  a 
mass  of  calcareous  rock,  rising  from  the  bed  of  Lake  Huron,  and 
reaching  an  elevation  of  more  than  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
water.  The  waters  around  are  purity  itself.  Some  of  its  cliffs 
shoot  up  perpendicularly,  and  tower  in  pinp.acles,  like  ruinous 
Gothic  steeples.  It  is  cavernous  in  some  places  ;  and  in  these 
caverns  the  ancient  Indians;  like  those  of  India,  have  placed 
their  dead.  Portions  of  the  beach  are  level,  and  adapted  to 
landing  from  boats  and  canoes.  The  harbor,  at  its  south  end,  is 
a  little  gem.    Vessels  anchor  in  it,  and  find  good  holding.    The 


1  J;'^,      ,'■  '- 

Hi 

El 

■'■'ii  j 

■'1   ! 
MlU   1 

Sill   i 

iiii 

■f    i 


134 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


little,  old-fashioned  French  town  nestles  around  it  in  a  very 
primitive  style.  The  fort  frowns  above  it,  like  another  Alhambra, 
its  white  walls  gleaming  in  the  sun.  The  whole  area  of  the  island 
is  one  labyrinth  of  curious  little  glens  and  valleys.  Old  green 
fields  appear,  in  some  spots,  which  have  been  formerly  cultivated 
by  the  Indians.  In  some  of  these  there  are  circles  of  gathered- 
up  stones,  as  if  the  Druids  themselves  had  dwelt  here.  The 
soil,  though  rough,  is  fertile,  being  the  comminuted  materials  of 
broken-down  limestones.  The  island  was  formerly  covered  with 
a  dense  growth  of  rock-maples,  oaks,  iron-wood,  and  other  hard- 
wood species  ;  and  there  are  still  parts  of  this  ancient  forest  left, 
but  all  the  southern  limits  of  it  exhibit  a  young  growth.  There 
are  walks  and  winding  paths  among  its  little  hills,  and  precipices 
of  the  most  romantic  character.  And  whenever  the  visitor  gets 
on  eminences  overlooking  the  lake,  he  is  transported  with  sub- 
lime views  of  a  most  illimitable  and  magnificent  water-prospect. 
If  the  poetic  muses  are  ever  to  have  a  new  Parnassus  in  Amer- 
ica, they  should  inevitably  fix  on  Michilimackinac.  Hygeia, 
too,  should  place  her  temple  here ;  for  it  has  one  of  the  purest, 
driest,  clearest,  and  most  healthful  atmospheres." 

The  geological  aspects  of  the  island  are  curious  and  inter- 
esting. At  its  base  may  be  seen  the  rocks  of  the  Onondaga 
Salt  group,  above  which,  says  Professor  Winchell,  State  Geol- 
ogist of  Michigan,  "  the  well-characterized  limestones  of  the 
Upper  Helderberg  group,  to  the  thickness  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  feet,  exist  in  a  confuscully  brecciated  conditio  i.  The  indi- 
vidual fragments  of  the  mass  are  angular,  and  seem  to  have 
been  but  little  moved  from  their  original  places.  It  appears  as 
if  the  whole  formation  had  been  shattered  by  sudden  vibrations 
and  unequal  uplifts,  and  afterward  a  thin  calcareous  mud 
poured  over  the  broken  mass,  percolating  through  all  the  inter- 
stices, and  re-cementing  the  fragments. 

"  This  is  the  general  physical  character  of  the  mr^ss  j  but  in 
many  places  the  original  lines  of  stratification  can  be  traced,  and 
individual  layers  of  the  formation  can  be  seen  dipping  at  various 
angles    and    in    all    directions,  sometimes    exhibiting    abrupt 


n 
w 
&; 
w 

o 

!^ 
H 
W 

w 
w 

o 


MACKINAC  ISLAND — CONCLUDED. 


135 


flexures,  and  not  infrequently  a  complete  downthrow  of  fifteen 
or  twenty  feet.  These  phenomena  were  particularly  noticed  at 
the  Cliff  known  as  '  Robinson's  Folly.' 

"  In  the  highest  part  of  the  island,  back  of  Old  Fort  Holmes, 
the  formation  is  much  less  brecciated,  and  exhibits  an  ooiitic 
character,  as  first  observed  in  the  township  of  Bedford,  in 
Monroe  County."    ... 

"The  island  of  Mackinac  shows  the  most  indubitable  evi- 
dence of  the  former  prevalence  of  the  water  to  the  height  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  present  level  of  the  lake  j 
and  there  has  been  an  unbroken  continuance  of  the  same  kind 
of  aqueous  action  from  that  time  during  the  gradual  subsidence 
of  the  waters  to  their  present  condition.  No  break  can  be  de- 
tected in  the  evidences  of  ihis  action  from  the  present  water- 
line  upward  for  thirty,  fifty,  or  one  hundred  feet,  and  even  up  to 
the  level  of  the  grottoes  excavated  in  the  brecciated  materials 
of  '  Sugar-loaf,'  the  level  of  '  Skull  Cave,'  and  the  '  Devil's 
Kitchen.' 

"  While  we  state  the  fact,  however,  of  the  continuity  of  the 
action  during  all  this  period,  it  is  not  intended  to  allege  that  the 
water  of  the  lakes,  as  such,  has  ever  stood  at  the  level  of  the 
summit  of  Supar-loaf.  Nor  do  we  speak  upon  the  question 
whether  these  changes  have  been  caused  by  the  subsidence  of 
the  lakes,  or  the  uplift  of  the  island  and  adjacent  promontories. 
It  is  true  that  the  facts  present-^d  bear  upon  these  and 
other  interesting  questions ;  but  we  must  forego  any  discussion 
of  them." 

In  a  private  communication  to  the  writer,  the  author  of  these 
extracts  states  that,  in  his  opinion,  there  has  been  some  elevation 
of  the  island  and  adjacent  regions,  but  more  .subsidence  of  the 
water.  The  island  and  neighboring  promontories  were  once 
continuous  with  each  other,  the  isolation  having  been  effected  by 
denudation;  "much  of  which,"  says  the  same  eminent  author, 
"  was  probably  effected  during  tht  prevalence  of  the  continental 
glacial,  ani  much  during  the  time  of  floods  following,  and  the 
action  of  the  sea  while  the  region  was  submerged."     Springs  of 


'"WW 


136 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


water,  clear  and  cold,  may  be  found  at  the  base  of  the  high 
cliffs  which  bound  many  parts  of  the  island,  and  also  at  other  lo- 
calities in  its  interior.  The  geology  of  the  surrounding  islands 
and  promontories  is  much  the  same  as  that  of  this  island. 

With  these  general  ideas,  descriptive  and  geological,  we  may 
now  proceed  to  visit  the  various  places  of  interest.  Starting 
from  Fort  Mackinac,  let  us  follow  the  foot-path  along  the  brow  of 
the  bluff  overlooking  the  eastern  part  of  the  town.  If  fond  of 
natural  scenery,  we  shall  be  delighted  with  the  grand  panorama 
of  nature,  the  successive  scenes  of  which  will  be  presented  to  us 
as  we  proceed.  Half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  fort,  at 
the  south-eastern  angle  of  the  island,  is  the  overhanging  cliff 
known  as  "Robinson's  Folly."*  The  following  is  the  interesting 
history  of  this  point :  After  the  removal  of  the  fort  to  the  island, 
in  1780,  Captain  Robinson,  who  then  commanded  the  post,  had 
a  Summer-house  built  upon  this  cliff.  This  soon  became  a  place 
of  frequent  resort  for  himself  and  his  brother  officers.  Pipes, 
cigars,  and  wine  were  called  into  requisition — for  at  the  time  no 
hospitality  or  entertainment  was  complete  without  them — and 
thus  many  an  hour,  which  would  otherwise  have  been  lonely  and 
tedious,  passed  pleasantly  away.  After  a  few  years,  however,  by 
the  action  of  the  elements,  a  portion  of  this  cliff,  with  the  Sum- 
mer-house, was  precipitated  to  the  base  of  the  rock,  which  disas- 
trous event  gave  rise  to  the  name.  Around  the  beach  below  is 
a  confused  mass  of  dkbris,  the  remains,  doubtless,  of  the  fall. 

A  little  to  the  north  of  Robinson's  Folly  may  be  seen  an 
immense  rock  standing  out  boldly  from  the  mountain's  side, 
near  the  base  of  which  is  a  very  beautiful  little  arch,  known  as 
the  "  Arch  of  the  Giant's  Stairway."  This  arch  is  well  worth 
the  trouble  of  a  visit. 

A  walk  along  the  beach  northward  from  this  point  is  some- 
what difficult,  on  account  of  the  large  portions  of  the  cliffs 
which  have  in  places  been  precipitated  to  the  water's  edge  ;  but 
a  good  foot-path   along  the  brow  of  the  bluff  brings  us,  with 


See  Mao  of  the  Island. 


llllli 
wm 


MACKINAC    ISLAND — CONCLUDED. 


137 


only   a    few  minutes'  walk,  to   the   far-famed    "At:h  Rock." 
This  is  one  of  nature's  works  which  must  be  seen  to  bt  appre- 
ciated.    Words  can  not  fully  describe  it  in  all  its  grandeur.     It 
is_^  a  magnificent  natural  arch,  spanning  a  chasm  of   eighty  or 
ninety    feet    in    height, 
and    forty    or    fifty    in 
width.     The  summit  of 
this  rock  is  one  hundred 
and  forty-nine  feet  above 
the    level  of  the    lake. 
Its  abutments  are  com- 
posed     of      calcareous 
rock,  and   the   opening 
underneath  the  arch  has 
been   produced    by   the 
falling    down     of     the 
great    masses    of    rock 
now  to  be  seen  upon  the 
beach    below.     A   path 
to  the  right  leads  to  the 
brink    of      the      arch, 
whence    the    visitor,    if 
sufficiently  reckless,  may 
pass  to  its  summit,  which 
is   about   three  feet  in 
width.      Here    we    see 
twigs  of  cedar  growing 
out  of  what  appears  to 
be  so'id  rock,  while  in  the  rear  and  on  either  hand  the  lofty  emi- 
nence is  clothed  with  trees  and  shrubber) — maple,  birch,  poplar, 
cedar,  and  balsam — giving  to  the  landscape  richness  and  variety. 
Before  us  are  the  majestic  waters  of  Lake  Huron,  dotted  in  the 
distance  with  islands.     We  may  now  descend  through  the  great 
chasm,  "arched  by  the  hand  of  God,"  and  at  the  base  of  the 
projecting  ans;le  of  the  main  rock  find  a  second  arch  less  mag- 
luiicea^  but  iio  less  curious  and  wonderful.     Passing  under  t.Vis, 


«,^^— 
^"^••» 


Arcli  Rock. 


;'l 


'^  m 


m 


Ic  M 


^^v 


138 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


we  soon  reach  the  beach  below,  whence  the  view  is  particularly 
grand  and  imposing.  The  mighty  arch  seems  suspended  in  mid 
air  above  us  ;  and  as  we  gaze  upon  it,  lost  in  wonder  and  admira- 
tion, we  exclaim  with  the  Psalmist,  "  Lord,  what  is  man  that 
thou  takest  knowledge  of  him,  or  the  son  of  man  that  thou 
makest  account  of  him  ?"  Foster  and  Whitney  say  of  this  rock 
"  The  portion  supporting  the  arch  on  the  north  side,  and  the 
curve  of  the  arch  itself,  are  comparatively  fragile,  and  can  not  for 
a  long  period  resist  the  action  of  rains  and  frosts,  which,  in  this 
latitude,  and  on  a  rock  thus  constituted,  produce  great  ravages 
every  season.  The  arch,  which  on  one  side  now  connects  this 
abutment  with  the  main  cliff,  will  soon  be  destroyed,  as  well 
as  the  abutment  itself,  and  the  whole  be  precipitated  into  the 
lake." 

The  following  parody  on  a  popular  song  was  found  written 
on  a  stone  near  the  base  of  Arch  Rock,  about  five  years  since : 

"  Beauteous  Isle  I  I  sing  of  thee, 

Mackinac,  my  Mackinac ;  ' 

Thy  lake-bound  shoresj  I  love  to  see, 
Mackinac,  my  Mackinac, 
From  Arch  Rock's  height  and  shelving  steep 
To  western  cliffs  ami  Lover's  Leap, 
Where  memories  of  the  lost  one  sleep, 
Mai^kinac,  my  Mackinac. 

Thy  northern  shore  trod  British  foe, 
Mackinac,  my  Mackinac, 
That  day  saw  gallant  Holmes  laid  low, 
Mackinac,  my  Mackinac. 
Now  Freedom's  flag  above  thee  waves. 
And  guards  the  rest  of  fallen  braves, 
Their  requiem  sung  by  Huron's  waves, 
Mackinac,  my  Mackinac." 

Taking  the  road  which  leads  into  the  interior  of  the  island, 
we  soon  find  ourselves  at  the  "Sugar-loaf  Rock."  This  rock 
is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the  foot  of  the  high 
ridge,  upon  tho  south-east  extremity  of  which  stands  Fort 
Holmes.  The  plateau  upon  which  it  stands  is  about  one  hun> 
dred  and  fiily  feet  above  the  level  of  the  lake,  while  the  summit 


MACKINAC  island: — CONCLUDED. 


139 


of  the  rock  is  two  hundred  and  eighty-four  feet  above  the  lake, 
giving  an  elevation  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  feet  to  the 
rock  itself.  The  composition  of  this  rock  is  the  same  as  that 
of  Arch  Rock.  Its  shape  is  conical,  and  from  its  crevices  grow 
a  few  vines  and  cedars.  It 
is  cavernous  and  somewhat 
crystalline,  with  its  strata 
distorted  in  every  conceiv- 
able direction.  In  the  north 
side  is  an  opening,  sufficient 
in  its  dimensions  to  admit 
several  individuals.  Here 
one  might  find  shelter  from 
the  most  violent  storm. 
Within  this  opening,  upon 
the  smooth  surfaces  of  the 
rock,  may  be  found  the  au- 
tographs of  hundreds  of 
eager  aspirants  after  immor- 
tality. As  we  take  refuge  in  this  rock,  we  are  reminded  of  the 
Rock  of  Ages,  and  led  to  sing,  with  the  poet, — 

"  Rock  of  Ages,  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  thee." 

As  we  approach  this  rock  along  the  road,  the  effect  is  grand 
and  imposing.  The  patriarch  of  the  ages,  it  lifts  its  hoary  head 
high  up  toward  heaven,  in  utter  defiance  of  the  fury  of  the 
elements.  The  view  is  also  very  fine  from  the  top  of  the  ridge, 
whence,  by  its  isolated  position  and  bold  form,  it  strikes  the 
beholder  with  wonder  and  admiration. 

The  "curious"  are  ever  eager  to  know  by  what  freak  of 
nature  this  monstrous  bowlder  has  been  placed  in  its  present 
position.  Has  it  been  thrust  up  through  the  crust  of  the  earth, 
like  a  needle  through  a  garment,  by  some  internal  volcanic 
action?  or  has  it  been  separated  from  the  adjacent  ridge  and 
disentdmbed  from  its  ancient  sepulche  •  by  a  system  of  gradual 


Sugar-loar  Rock. 


.if 


i 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


denudation  carried  on  by  nature  through  the  successive  ages 
of  the  world's  history?  Science  tells  us  that  the  latter  hypoth- 
esis is  the  true  one,  Foster  and  Whitney,  in  their  geological 
report,  mention  the  Arch  and  Sugar-loaf  Rocks  "as  particular 
examples  of  denuding  action,"  and  state  that  this  denuding 
action,  producing  such  an  opening  (as  i  i  the  Arch),  with  other 
attendant  phenomena,  could  only  have  operated  while  near 
the  level  of  a  large  body  of  water  like  the  great  lake  itself. 
This  coincides  with  the  views  of  Professor  Wir^jhell,  whom  we 
have  already  quoted  on  this  point.  Traces  of  water-action  now 
seen  on  the  vertical  sides  of  these  two  rocks,  two  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  water,  are  precisely  the  same  as  those 
seen  upon  the  rocks  close  by  the  water's  edge.  To  all  for.', 
of  natural  curiosities,  these  two  rocks  alone  possess  attractions 
sufficient  to  justify  a  visit  to  the  Northern  lakes. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  fort,  whence  we  started,  and  again 
set  out  in  a  different  direction.  Half  a  mile  to  the  rear  of  Fort 
Mackinac,  and  only  a  few  yards  to  the  right  of  the  road  that 
leads  to  Early's  farm,  is  "  Skull  Rock,"  noted  as  the  place 
where  Alexander  Henry  was  secreted  by  the  Chippewa  chief, 
Wawatam,  as  related  in  a  previous  chapter,  after  the  horrid 
massacre  of  the  British  garrison  at  Old  Mackinac*  The  en- 
trance to  this  cave  is  at  present  low  and  narrow,  and  promises 
little  to  reward  the  labors  of  exploration. 

Two  miles  west  of  the  village  and  fort  is  Early's  (formerly 
Michael  Dousman's)  farm.     This  farm  consists  of  a  section  of 
land,  and  produces  annually  large  quantities  of  hay  and  vege- 
tables of  the  best  quality.     Near  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Mr.  Early  is  that  relic  of  1812,  the  old  Dousman  house,  across 
the  road  from  which  is  the  battle-ground  hallowed  by  the  blood 
f  the  lamented   Holmes  and  others.    After  the  battle,  such 
igments  of  the  slain  as  had  been  left  on  the  field  by  the  Indi- 
es were  gathered  up  and  buried  near  the  east  end  of  the  little 
muuind  or  ridge  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  field  from  the  road. 

*  See  page  81. 


IIACKINAO    ISLAND — CONCLUDED. 


141 


Following  the  road  leading  through  this  farm,  we  soon 
arrive  at  the  "British  Landing,"  so  named  from  the  fact  that 
Captain  Roberts,  with  his  mixed  command  of  English,  French, 
and  Indians,  here  disembarked  his  forces  to  take  the  place  in 
18 1 2.  It  is  also  noted  as  the  point  where  the  American  troops 
under  Colonel  Croghan  effected  a  landing,  under  cover  of  the 
guns  of  the  American  squadron,  on  the  eventful  4th  of  August, 
1814,  as  already  described. 

Near  the  north-western  point  of  the  island  is  Scott's  or 
Flinn's  Cave.  To  find  this,  we  turn  to  the  right  a  few  rods  this 
side  of  British  Landing,  and  follow  an  unfrequented  trail  through 
the  woods.  A  stranger  should  not  attempt  this  journey  with- 
out a  guide.  This  cave  is  underneath  one  of  the  huge  rocks 
peculiar  to  Mackinac.  Its  entrance  is  extremely  low ;  .but  when 
once  inside,  the  giant  Goliath  might  stand  erect.  Those  intend- 
ing to  /isit  this  cave  should  provide  themselves  with  a  lamp 
or  candle,  as  but  an  occasional  ray  of  sunlight  can  penetrate 
its  hidden  chamber.  While  inside  this  rock-roofed  cavern,  a 
peculiar  sensation  takes  possession  of  you,  and  you  are  re- 
minded of  the  scene  described  in  ths  sixth  chapter  of  Reve- 
lation, where  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  the  great  men  hide 
themselves  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks  of  the  jnountain,  and 
say  to  the  mountains  and  rocks,  "  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from 
the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath 
of  the  Lamb :  for  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come ;  and  who 
shall  be  able  to  stand?"  In  the  vicinity  of  this  cave  are  yet 
standing  a  few  patriarchs  of  the  forest,  remnants  of  the  heavy 
growth  of  timber  which,  at  an  early  day,  covered  the  island. 

Our  next  tramp  will  be  around  the  high  bluffs  which  bound 
the  south-western  side  of  the  island.  Leaving  the  town  at  its 
western  extremity,  we  may  follow  the  foot-path  around  the  brow 
of  these  bluffs,  or  continue  along  the  beach,  close  to  the  water's 
edge.  About  a  mile  from  the  village,  as  we  pursue  the  latter 
course,  is  the  "Devil's  Kitchen" — a  cavernous  rock,  curious 
both  in  its  formation  and  in  its  name.  Near  it  is  a  spring  rf 
clear,  cold  water,  shaded  by  evergreens  and  other  trees. 


M:..  ^ 


142 


OLD  AND   NEW  BIACKINAC. 


1 


A  few  yards  farther  on  is  the  famous  "  Lover's  Leap."  This 
rock  stands  out  boldly  from  the  side  of  the  cliff,  and  in  appear- 
ance is  similar  to  the  Sugar-loaf  Rock.  There  are  other  points 
on  the  island  to  which  romantic  visitors  have  applied  this  name; 
but  tradition  has  bestowed  the  title  only  upon  this.  William 
M.  Johnson,  Esq.,  formerly  a  resident  of  this  village,  gives  us 
the  following  legend  concerning  it : 

"The  huge  rock  called  the  'Lover's  Leap'  is  situated  aboui 
one  mile  west  of  the  village  of  Mackinac.  It  is  a  high,  perpen- 
dicular bluff,  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  feet  in  height, 
rising  boldly  from  the  shore  of  the  lake.  A  solitary  pine-tree 
formerly  stood  upon  its  brow,  which  some  vandal  has  cut  down. 
"  Long  before  the  pale  faces  profaned  this  island  home  of 
the  genii,  Me'che'ne'mock'e'nung'o'qua,  a  young  Ojibway  girl, 
just  maturing  into  womanhood,  often  wandered  there,  and  gazed 
from  its  dizzy  heights,  and  witnessed  the  receding  canoes  of  the 
large  war-parties  of  the  combined  bands  of  the  Ojibwas  and 
Ottawas  speeding  south,  seeking  for  fame  and  scalps. 

"It  was  there  she  often  set,  mused,  and  hummed  the  songs 
Ge'niw'e'gwon  loved ;  this  spot  was  endeared  tc  her,  for  it  was 
there  that  she  and  Ge'niw'e'gwon  first  met  and  exchanged 
words  of  love,  and  found  an  affinity  of  soul  existing  between 
them.  It  was  there  that  she  often  sat  and  sang  the  Ojibwa  love- 
song: 

" '  Mong-e-do-gwain,  in-de-nain-dum, 

Mong-e-do-gwain,  in-de-nain-dum, 

Wain-shung-ish-ween,  neen-e-mo-sliane, 

Wain-shung-ish-ween,  neen-e-mo-shane, 

A-nee-wan-wan-san-bo-a-zode, 

A-nee-wan-wan-san-bo-a-zode.' 

"  I  give  but  one  verse,  which  may  be  translated  as  follows : 

" '  A  loon,  I  thought,  was  looming, 
A  loon,  I  thought,  was  looming ; 
Why  I  it  is  he,  my  lover  ! 
Why !  it  is  he,  my  lover ! 
His  paddle  in  the  waters  gleaming, 
, ,  His  paddle  in  the  waters  gleaming.' 


MACKINAC   ISLAND — CONCLUDED. 


143 


"  From  this  bluff  she  often  watched  and  listened  for  the  re- 
turn of  the  war-parties ;  for  amongst  them  she  knew  was  Ge'- 
niw'e'gwon,  his  head  decorated  with  war-eagle  plumes,  which  none 
but  a  brave  could  sport.  The  west  wind  often  wafted  far  in 
advance  the  shouts  of  victory  and  death,  as  they  shouted  and 
sang  upon  leaving  Pe'quod'e'nong  (Old  Mackinac),  to  make  the 
traverse  to  the  Spirit  or  Fairy  Island. 

"One  season,  when  the  war-party  returned,  she  could  not 
distinguish  his  familar  and  loved  war-shout.  Her  spirit  told  her 
that  he  had  gone  to  the  spirit-land  of  the  West.  It  was  so  ;  an 
enemy's  arrow  had  pierced  his  breast,  and  after  his  body  .as 
placed  leaning  against  a  tree,  his  face  fronting  his  enemies,  he 
died  J  but  ere  he  died  he  wished  the  mourning  warriors  to  re- 
member him  to  the  sweet  maid  of  his  heart.  Thus  he  died,  far 
away  from  home  and  the  friends  he  loved. 

"  Me'che'ne'mock'e'nung'o'qua's  heart  hushed  its  beatings, 
and  all  the  warm  emotions  of  that  heart  were  chilled  and  dead. 
The  moving,  living  spirit  of  her  beloved  Ge'niw'e'gwon,  she  wit- 
nessed continually  beckoning  her  to  follow  him  to  the  happy 
hunting-grounds  of  spirits  in  the  West ;  he  appeared  to  her  in 
human  shape,  but  was  invisible  to  others  of  his  tribe. 

"  One  morning  her  body  was  found  mangled  at  the  foot  of 
the  bluff.  The  soul  had  thrown  aside  its  covering  of  earth,  and 
had  gone  to  join  the  spirit  of  her  beloved  Ge'niw'e'gwon,  to 
travel  together  to  the  land  of  spirits,  realizing  the  glories  and 
bliss  of  a  future,  eternal  existence." 

Some  little  distance  farther  on  is  "  Chimney  Rock,"  which 
Professor  Winchell  denominates  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
masses  of  rock  in  this  or  any  other  State. 

A  foot-path,  which  leads  from  the  beach  near  the  base  of 
Lover's  Leap  to  the  plateau  above,  brings  us  to  the  old  Daven- 
part  farm,  now  owned  by  G.  S.  Hubbard,  of  Chicago.  Report 
says  that  several  Summer-houses  are  soon  to  be  built  on  this 
farm,  which  will  greatly  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  locality. 
Adjoining  this  farm  is  the  Jones  farm,  once  the  property  of  the 
Presbyterian  Mission  on  the  island. 

Having  now  made  the  circuit  of  the  island,  let  us  once 


144 


OLD  AND  NEW  MACKINAC. 


more  ascend  to  Fort  Holmes,  take  our  seats  upon  the  high  sta- 
tion built  some  years  since  by  the  Government  engineers,  and 
look  around  us.  The  island  lies  at  our  feet,  and  we  can  see  al- 
most r  ery  patt  of  it.  The  little  clearings  seen  in  various  places 
were  once  gardens  cultivated  by  American  soldiers.  That  in 
the  vicinity  of  Arch  Rock  was  called  the  "  big  garden."  In 
1812,  when  the  English  captured  the  island,  the  clearir'^  on  the 
high  plateau  back  of  Fort  Holmes  was  planted  Wiui  pota- 
toes,  and  when  the  Americans  came  back  to  take  possession  of 
the  island  in  the  Spring  of  1815,  the  English,  not  having  culti- 
vated it  during  the  time,  were  compelled  to  plow  it  up  and  plant 
it,  that,  according  to  the  terms  of  the  treaty,  they  might  leave 
every  thing  as  they  found  it. 

As  we  gaze  upon  the  adjacent  islands  and  main-land,  mem- 
ory is  busy  with  the  scenes  of  the  past.  Two  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago,  only  bark  canoes  dotted  the  surface  of  the  lake.  A 
few  years  later,  the  songs  of  the  Canadian  voyageur,  as  he  rowed 
or  paddled  his  large  batteau,  echoed  and  re-echoed  around  the 
shores.  Now  the  shrill  whistle  of  the  propeller  is  heard,  and 
the  white  sails  of  hundreds  of  vessels  are  spread  to  the  breezes. 
The  first  vessel  ever  seen  on  these  waters  was  the  Griffin,  in 
1679  i  *"*^  the  first  steamer  was  the  Walk-in-the- Water,  in  1819. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  the  amount  of  wealth  which  is 
annually  carried  through  these  straits.  During  the  season  of 
navigation,  from  ten  to  fifty  sails  may  always  be  seen  passing  up 
and  down  through  the  straits,  and  almost  every  hour  in  the  day 
from  one  to  ten  propellers  are  in  full  view. 

Some  four  or  five  miles  to  the  north-west  of  us  lies  the 
mixed  Canadian  and  Indian  settlement  of  Point  St.  Ignace. 
This  was  the  second  place  settled  in  the  State  of  Michigan,  the 
Sault  being  the  first.  At  the  head  of  East  Moran  Bay,  some 
little  distance  north  of  the  church,  is  the  site  of  the  mission 
established  by  Marquette  in  167 1,  some  remains  of  which  may 
yet  be  seen. 

Further  north  is  the  bluff  called  "  Rabbit  Sitting."  North- 
easterly the  St  Martin  Islands,  the  entrance  to  the  Chenoux, 
and  the  dividing;  ridge  between  this  and  the  Sault  St.  Maty.    On 


MACKINAC  I3LANO — CONCLUDED. 


»45 


the  north-east  is  Point  Detour ;  and»  though  thirty  miles  distant, 
vessels  may  sometimes  be  seen  entering  St.  Mary's  River. 
Round  and  Bois  Blanc  Islands  lies  to  th6  south-east  of  us,  be- 
yond which,  at  the  distance  of  eighteen  miles,  is  Cheboygan, 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  a  river  of  the  same  name.  This  place 
is  advantageously  located,  and  is  growing  rapidly. 

About  seven  miles  south-west  from  this  island,  on  the  northern 
apex  of  the  southern  peninsula  of  Michigan,  is  Mackinac  City. 
W.  M.  Johnson,  Esq.,  thus  speaks  of  this  interesting  locality  : 

"  Mackinaw  City,  with  its  coasts  and  the  islands  before  it,  has 
been  the  theater  of  sdhie  of  the  most  exciting  and  interesting 
events  in  Indian  history,  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  '  white 
man.'  It  was  the  metropolis  of  a  portion  of  the  Ojibwa  and 
Ottawa  nations.  It  was  there  that  their  Congresses  met,  to  adopt- 
a  policy  which  terminated  in  the  conquest  of  the  country  soutn 
of  it ;  it  was  there  that  the  tramping  feet  of  thousands  ot 
plumed  and  painted  warriors  shook  Pe'quod'e'nong  (the  Indian 
name)  while  dancing  their  war-dances  ;  it  was  from  thence  that 
the  startling  sound  of  the  war-yells  of  these  thousands  was 
wafted  to  the  adjacent  coasts  and  islands,  making  the  peaceful 
welkin  ring  with  their  unearthly  shouts  of  victory  or  death." 

With  this  glance  at  the  surroundings  of  Mackinac,  the  fol- 
lowing table  of  altitudes  will  appropriately  close  the  chapter.  It 
is  drawn  from  Professor  Winchell's  Geological  Report  for  i860 : 


LOCALITIES. 

Lake  Huron 

Fort  Mackinac 

Fort  Holmes, 

Robinson's  Folly, 

Bluff  facing  Round  Island 

Summit  of  Sugar-loaf, 

Chimney  Rock, 

Lover's  Leap 

Top  of  Arch  at  Arch  Rock 

Highest  Summit  of  Arch  Rock,      .    .    .    .    . 
Top  of  Buttress  facing  Lake  at  Arch  Rock,  . 
Principal  Plateau  of  Mackinac  Island,    .    . 
Upper  Plateau  of  Mackittac  Island,     .    .    . 
Lake  Superior, 

— 


Feet  Al-.; 
Lake  Huro:i. 


318 
127 

147 
284 

131 

»4S 
140 
149 
los 

'SO 
294 

49 


set  Above 
the  Sea. 


578 
728 

897 
70s 
US 
862 
709 

?;i 

727 
683 
728 
872 
627 


f 


iii! 
lit 


t'I 


'     ,f 


146 


OLD  AND  NEW  MACKINAC. 


CHAPTER  X. 


MACKINAC   AS  A   HEALTH    RBSORT.* 

MACKINAC,  as  a  health  resort,  is  unsupassed.  Its  cool 
air  and  pure  water,  together  with  its  natural  beauties 
and  historic  associations,  are  just  what  are  needed  to  bring 
back  the  glow  of  health  to  the  faded  cheek,  and  send  the 
warm  currents  of  life  dancing  through  the  system  with  youthful 
vigor. 

In  Mackinac,  you  eat  with  a  new  relish,  and  sleep  as  when 
a  child.  You  row,  you  ramble  like  boys  and  girls,  scarcely 
able  to  keep  your  buoyancy  within  bounds.  You  need  to  set 
a  double  guard  about  your  dignity,  lest  it  escape  you  entirely. 

But  it  is  unnecessary  for  us  to  bear  testimony  on  this  sub- 
ject, when  so  many  more  competent  witnesses  are  at  hand. 

The  following  letter  by  Dr.  H.  R.  Mills,  A.  A.  Surgeon 
U.  S.  A.,  shows  the  philosophy  of  the  health-restoring  circum- 
stances  which  surround  the  invalid  on  this  islana: 

Fort  Mackinac,  Mich.,  Afay  2,  1870. 
Rtv.  Jos.  A.  Van  Flttti 

Dear  Sir, — In  complying  with  your  request  for  my  views 
on  Mackinac  as  a  resort  for  invalids,  I  will  be  as  brief  as  pos- 
sible. I  have  been  a  resident  upon  the  island  during  the  period 
of  nearly  three  years,  engaged  in  civil  and  military  practice, 
and  therefore  have  had  something  of  an  opportunity  for  forming 
an  opinion  upon  that  subject. 

In  the  first  place,  there  are  two  governing  ideas   in  the 


*The  writer  had  the  pleasure  of  residing  on  the  island  for  two  ytar% 
durir^  which  time  the  first  edition  of  this  little  volume  was  nubl!gh"d. 


MACKINAC  AS  A  HEALTH  RESORT. 


147 


selection  of  places  of  resort  for  those  in  ill-health.  If  possible, 
that  locality  should  be  sought  which  will  most  probably  be  the 
n.eans  of  a  permanent  cure.  When  such  a  result  is  beyond 
hope,  the  present  comfort  of  the  patient  stands  next  in  impor- 
tance. That  place,  therefore,  which  affords  the  greatest  number 
of  health-giving  and  comfort-giving  elements  will  meet  the 
wants  of  the  largest  class.  No  single  locality  <::an  be  expected 
to  meet  the  wants  of  all.  No  land  of  bliss,  where  joys  are 
unalloyed,  has  as  yet  been  discovered.  There  are  certain  places 
adapted  to  the  w^nt«  of  particular  cases.  In  the  selection  of 
these,  accurate  knowledge  and  sound  judgment  should  be  the 
constant  glides.  The  hurly-burly,  hap-hazard  manner  in  which 
people  post  off  to  some  celebrated  locality,  in  search  of  health, 
is  an  illustration  of  the  kind  of  reasoning  almost  unconsciously 
employed  by  many,  who,  upon  other  subjects,  are  considered 
sound  thinkers:  the  old  doctrine  over  again,  "What's  good 
for  one  thing  must  be  good  for  another."  Hence  the  crowds 
which  throng  the  springs  and  the  wells,  all  undergoing  the 
same  internal  and  external  drenchings,  in  the  endeavor  to  cure 
almost  as  many  different  diseases  as  there  are  people  on  the 
grounds.  There  is  undoubtedly  much  benefit  to  be  derived 
from  the  judicious  use  of  water.  No  one  will  deny  that  the 
springs  of  the  country  are  the  sources  of  many  blessings.  Yet 
many  weak,  debilitated,  half-dead  men,  women,  and  children  have 
had  the  last  sparks  of  vitality  drowned  out  of  them,  in  the  blind 
routine  of  water-cure;  while  others,  with  good  constitutions,  who 
only  needed  a  thorough  cleansing  of  the  cutaneous  surfaces,  which 
they  should  have  had  at  home,  for  decency's  sake,  have  returned  to 
the  bosom  of  their  families,  rejoicing  in  the  wonderful  efficacy  of  the 
springs.  I  have  no  word  of  condemnation  for  the  springs  I 
do  not  deny  the  medicinal  qualities  of  many  of  them.  But  the 
absurdity  of  the  manner  in  which  they  are  resorted  to,  without 
competent  advice,  and  oflen  to  the  actual  injury  of  those  fondly 
seeking  a  cure,  must  be  obvious  to  all. 

Mackinac  is  available  as  a  place  of  resurt  for  health  and 
plesiure  at  present  only  in  Sunimef ;  but  the  time  is  not  far 


l>    i'l 


\  ) 


148 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


distant  when  it  will  be  as  noted  as  a  resort  for  invalids  in  Winter 
as  it  is  now  in  Summer. 

Its  position,  geographically  and  hydrographically,  is  such  as 
to  render  the  temperature  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  moderate 
and  uniform.  This  is  tlie  first  and  most  important  in  the  list  of 
health-restoring  and  health-preserving  influences  to  be  enumer- 
ated in  connection  with  chis  place.  This  is  the  central  fact, 
around  which  all  the  others  arrange  themselves.  It  is  in  the 
mildness  and  uniformity  of  its  temperature  that  the  superiority  of 
Mackinac  as  a  place  of  resort  consists.  It  is  this  that  causes 
thousands  to  come  here  annually  to  spend  the  "  heated  term." 
This  is  well  shown  by  an  examination  of  the  following  table  : 

DEGREES  OF  MEAN,  MONTHLY,  AND  EXTKKMK  TEMPEKAIURK,  FOR  A  SERIES 

OK  YEARS.* 


LOCALITY. 


Mackinac  Itlaiid,  Mich 

Montreal 

Albany,  N    Y 

Umnha,  Neb 

ChicaHO 

Deiriiit 

Philndelpliia.  I'enn 

Cincinnati,  (> 

St.  Haul,  Minn 

St.  Limia,  Mu 


a.-* 


ii.e- 


4857 
53'* 

bojbg 

5'''M 
J6IM> 

hi  7. 

6*74 


65  6< 

70  M) 
7a  70 
?(•  75 

71  (X) 

7068 
75  73 

74,73 

73|7''| 
79  77 


60I48 

64I54 


F 


z 

u 


90 

102 

99 


106 
100 
108 


By  this  table  it  will  be  seen  that  the  extremes  of  heat  and 
cold  are  not  only  not  as  ;  -iit  in  Mackinac  as  in  other  places 
east  and  west  on  the  same  parallel,  but  even  in  places  much 
farther  south.  At  Montreal,  during  the  time  embraced  in  the 
table,  the  mercury  has  been  as  low  as  36  degrees  below  zero,  and 
as  high  as  103  above.  At  St.  Paul,  on  nearly  the  same  parallel, 
the  greatest  degree  of  cold  designated  is  37  degrees  below  zero, 
and  of  h^at,  100  above.     At  St.  Louis,  hundreds  of  miles  farther 


•  "Clinatology  of  United  States,"  by  Lorin  Blodget.  1857. 


MACKINAC  AS  A   HEALTH   RESORT. 


149 


south,  the  table  shows  that  the  mercury  has  been  as  low  as  25 
degrees  below  zero,  and  as  high  as  108  above.  By  looking  at 
the  figures  opposite  Mackinac,  it  will  be  seen  that  23  degrees 
below  zero  is  the  lowest,  and  90  above  the  highest  mark  of  the 
mercury.  During  my  residence  here,  however,  the  mercury  has 
but  once  been  as  low  as  19  degrees  below  zero.  This  was 
during  the  Winter  of  1867  and  1868.  During  the  Winter  of  1868 
and  1869,  16  degrees  below  zero  was  the  coldest.  During  the 
*  past  Winter,  13  degrees  below  occurred  but  once. 

Why  this  dilTerence  in  favor  of  Mackinac  ?  In  my  opinion, 
it  is  owing  principally  to  the  influence  of  the  large  bodies  of 
water  which  surround  it ;  Lake  Superior  on  the  north-west, 
Huron  on  the  east  and  south,  and  Michigan  on  the  south  and 
west.  By  a  well-known  law  in  physics,  heat  is  absorbed  or 
rendered  latent  in  the  passage  of  any  substance  from  the  solid 
to  the  Huid  and  front  the  Huid  to  the  gaseous  states  ;  and  con- 
versely, heat  is  given  out  or  rendered  sensible  in  the  passage  of 
any  substance  from  the  gaseous  to  the  fluid,  and  from  the  fluid 
to  the  solid  states.  To  illustrate  :  Take  a  single  pound  of  ice. 
The  thermometer  shows  its  temperature  to  be  3a  degrees  Fah- 
renheit. Now,  if  just  enough  heat  be  applied  to  this  pound  of 
ice  to  change  it  from  the  solid  to  the  fluid  state,  and  the  temper- 
ature of  the  water  thus  produced  is  inunediately  tested,  it  will  be 
found  to  be  only  32  degrees  ¥.,  the  same  as  found  in  testing  the 
temperature  of  the  ice  before  the  application  of  heat.  Here  has 
been  an  expenditure  of  heat  in  the  process  of  liquefaction.  By 
accurate  measurement  it  has  been  found  that  140  degrees  of 
heat  are  necessary  for  this  change  from  ice  to  water.  If,  again, 
heat  is  .ipplied  to  this  water,  the  temperature  will  continue  to 
rise  until  it  reaches  213  degrees,  the  ordinary  boiling  point  of 
water.  But  all  attempts  to  hc;it  this  water  above  that  point  will 
be  in  vain.  Why?  Because  heat  is  necessary  for  the  transfor- 
mation of  water  into  steam,  and  every  degree  of  heal  which  is 
now  added  will  be  consumed,  or  rendered  latent  in  this  process. 
The  reverse  process  is  naturally  attended  by  the  opposite  result. 
Hence  die  philosophy  of  the  warming  of   buildings  by  steam. 


L,.. 


III!, 


» I 


1 1 


ISO 


OLD  AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 


Wherever  the  steam  comes  in  contact  with  objects  sufficiently 
cold  to  reduce  it  to  a  lower  degiee  than  212,  it  immediately 
becomes  condensed  into  water,  giving  out  its  surplus  heat.  The 
same  is  true  in  the  transformation  of  v.ater  into  ice. 

In  Summer,  the  evaporating  surface  of  these  lakes  is  very 
extensive,  and  the  influence  on  the  climate  at  Mackinac,  and 
places  thus  centrally  located,  is,  as  a  consequence,  very  g^eat. 
The  amount  of  water  which  escapes  into  the  air  as  vapor,  in  a 
single  Summer  day,  from  the  surface  '>f  these  la'^.es,  would 
astonish  one  who  has  not  accurate  information  upon  this 
subject. 

Of  a  necessity,  the  amount  of  heat  drawn  from  the  surround- 
ing atmosphere  will  correspond.  In  Winter,  in  accordance  with 
this  law,  the  changing  of  vapors  into  water,  and  water  into  ice, 
operates  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  heat  is  given  out  or 
rendered  sensible.  Thus  these  immense  bodies  of  water 
become  the  regulators  of  the  climate,  both  in  Summer  and 
Winter.  Not  only  are  great  extremes  of  heat  and  cold  thus 
prevented,  but  also  the  sudden  daily  changes  which  occur  in 
many  other  places,  to  the  great  discomfort  and  injury  of  all,  and 
especially  the  invalid. 

Growing  out  of  its  position  and  resulting  temperature  is 
another  important  item  in  the  consideration  of  Mackinac  as  a 
health  resort ;  that  is,  the  purify  and  buoyancy  of  the  atmosphere. 
The  amount  of  heat  is  insufficient  for  the  extensive  production  of 
rnia.sniatic,  disease-generating  exhalations,  which  are  so  destruc- 
tive in  warmer  c'imates.  Even  if  this  were  not  the  cast,  the 
absence  of  swamp-  and  marshes  and  disgusting  cesspools  suffi- 
ciently insures  atmospheric  purity.  The  amount  of  oxygen  in  a 
given  me.isure  of  ai!;  as  compared  with  that  in  warmer  climates, 
accounts,  in  pari  at  least,  for  its  buoyant,  exhilarating  eflfects. 
Thus,  in  consequence  of  the  mild,  uniform  temperature,  the 
atmosphere  in  Summer  is  cool  and  .igreeable,  free  from  float- 
ing poisons,  and  well  stocked  with  life  and  health-giving 
principles. 

The  water,  though  containing  considerable  lime,  is  free  from 


MACKINAC   AS  A   HEALTH  RESORT. 


ISI 


noxious  impurities.  The  pebbles  on  the  bottom  of  the  lake  can 
be  seen  when  the  lake  is  still,  on  a  fair  day,  at  the  depth  of 
many  feet.  Its  average  temperature  is  about  42  degrees.  In 
favorable  localities,  however,  where  it  is  shallow,  and  the  rays  of 
the  sun  are  direct  upon  it,  the  temperature  is  raised  sufficiently 
for  pleasant  bathing.  In  a  medical  point  of  view,  these  lakes 
furnish  a  very  important  article  of  food — trout  and  white  fish. 
Nothing  is  better  calculated  to  meet  the  wants  of  overtaxed 
brains  and  nerves. 

As  a  Summer  resort  it  is  probably  unsurpassed.  It  is  easily 
accessible  by  short  and  pleasant  water-routes,  and  the  influences 
which  cluster  around  the  lovely  spot  are  adapted  equally  well 
to  the  treatment  of  the  infirmities  of  the  mind  and  body.  A 
cheerful,  hopeful  state  of  mind  is  of  the  greatest  importance  in 
the  treatment  of  disease.  This  once  established,  the  physician 
can  begin  to  feel  that  his  efforts  may  be  of  some  avail ;  but 
otherwise,  remedies  and  advice  alike  are  useless. 

The  view  of  the  island  at  a  distance,  if  approached  on  a 
pleasant  day,  either  from  Lake  Huron  or  Lake  Michigan,  is 
highly  pleasing,  especially  to  those  from  the  crowded  city  or  the 
interior  of  the  country.  The  valetudinarian  is  inclined  to  forget 
his  maladies  in  his  admiration  of  the  beauty  of  the  picture 
before  him.  And  the  first  impressions  are  not  only  confirmed 
by  a  sojourn  upon  the  island,  but  new  pleasures,  and  new 
sources  of  amusement  and  recreation,  are  constantly  springing 
up  to  engage  the  attention.  The  views  which  car  easily  be 
obtained  from  varit  is  points,  and  of  which  one  never  tires,  are 
unsurpassed  in  beauty  and  loveliness.  No  pen  can  adequately 
describe  them.  Again,  the  shady  walks  and  beautiful  drives 
which  radiate  from  the  villaf-  'j  various  points  of  natural  and 
historical  interest,  are  the  sources  of  much  enjf    ment. 

When  rock  and  cave  and  battle-field,  and  other  objects  of 
interest,  have  received  their  share  of  time  and  attention,  and  a 
change  is  desired,  the  Mackinac  bonts — famous  for  the  fact  that 
never  was  serious  accident  known  to  occur  to  one  of  them,  when 
handled  by  Maclcinac  men — lie  waiting  near  the  beach  ready  for 


«5a 


1 1 


OLD  AND  NEW   MA<"KINAC. 


an  excursion  upon  th«.:  lake.  RciT.d  Island,  Bois  Blanc,  Mack 
inac  City  (Old  Mackinac),  Point  St.  Ignace,  and  many  other 
places  of  interest,  are  within  a  few  hours'  sail.  Overcoat  and 
gloves  for  gentlemen,  and  shawls  for  ladies,  should  bt  the  in 
variable  companions,  no  matter  how  warm  and  ph  asant  the  day ; 
for  wmds  are  fickle,  and  the  hour  of  return  unceria'n  A  basiict 
of  <  dibles  will  sometimes  meet  an  unexpected  demand.  Gun 
and  iSshing-tackle  will  add  to  the  interest  of  the  Cv  ;asion^ 
especially  if  the  trip  extends  into  the  auck  and  brook-trout 
regions, 

li  exerc'sc  of  -he  muscle  as  well  as  diversion  of  mind  i& 
desired,  and  this  ^.  vi  he  I'hy  conbination,  a  supply  of  skiffs 
is  ever  <tt  hand.  By  ihi^.S'i  a  t»ip  to  the  surrounding  islands,  or 
the  noted  pin'jii  ilons;  ;h('  beach  uound  Mackinac,  can  be  safely 
made  in  a  f-'v  h>nir!..  But  those  who  wish  to  make  more  ex- 
tended or  nioro  rapid  voyages  can  avaii  themselves  of  the  small 
steamers  whicik  belong  in  this  locality.  Some  have  complained 
of  the  mosq  :i'oes  and  black  flies  in  their  sallies  to  the  main- 
land, but  it  is  >riid  that  the  odor  of  carbolic  acid  removes  this 
annoyance.  Fiom  my  experience  in  the  use  of  the  article  in 
hospital  practice,  I  am  inclined  to  think  this  will  accomplish 
the  purpose. 

These  are  some  of  the  favorable  circumstances  which  sur- 
round the  invalid  at  Mackinac.  It  v.'il!  be  seen  at  once  that 
they  take  a  wide  range  in  their  therapeutic  application.  I  have 
gtcat  confidence  in  medicines,  fimg/y  and  judiciously  adminis- 
tered. But  in  very  many,  especially  chronic  cases,  I  have  still 
greater  confidence  in  the  efficacy  of  these  hygienic  agencies.  It 
would  be  far  from  rational,  however,  to  discard  either.  The 
combinntion  of  the  two,  in  accordance  with  the  necessides  of 
c-ach  case,  will  be  followed  by  the  happiest  results.  Science 
arid  practice  alone  are  competent  to  decide  the  proportion  ot 
each  required. 

One  will  now  almost  instinctively  come  to  something  of  v 
conclusion  as  to  the  rlasr  ,  cases  to  which  this  plact:  v-  b  -« 
adapted.     In  fact,  the  hys^^  influences  are  so  varied   ;  ■:„.:.*- 


MACKINAC  AJ  A  HEALTH   RESORT. 


153 


acter,  so  extensive  in  range,  that  there  is  very  little  liability  to 
mistake.  During  my  residence  htre,  very  few  invalids  have 
come  under  my  notice  who  have  not  received  more  or  less 
benefit  before  their  departure.  Instead,  therefore,  of  attempting 
to  enumerate  the  diseases  or  conditions  to  the  treatment  of 
which  this  place  is  favorable,  it  will  take  much  less  time  to  des 
ignate  those  to  which  a  sojourn  here  is  thought  to  be  unfavorable. 

It  is  perhaps  unnecessary  to  say  that  in  all  acute  cases  of 
inflammation,  the  patient  should  remain  at  home  until  the 
crisis  is  passed.  When  the  stage  of  debility  comes  on,  how- 
ever, Mackinac  may  prove  highly  beneficial  in  promoting  a 
rapid  recovery. 

I  would  advise  no  one  who  is  thought  to  be  rapidly  ap- 
proaching dissolution,  to  think  of  coming  here  as  a  last  resort. 
The  unavoidable  fatigue  and  exposure  incident  to  the  journey 
will  greatly  overbalance  all  the  good  results  to  be  hoped  for. 
Home,  quiet,  peaceful  home,  is  the  place  fur  such. 

Those  in  the  last  stages  of  consumption  are  not  usually 
benefited.  Invalids  of  this  class  seem  to  think  the  air  "  too 
strong "  for  their  "  weak  lungs,"  to  use  their  own  terms.  The 
somewhat  increased  moisture  of  the  atmosphere,  over  that  of 
places  inland,  is  also  supposed  to  act  unfavorably. 

Those  suffering  from  asthma  are  in  some  instances  rendered 
more  comfortable,  and  in  others  less.  It  is  itt^possible  to  say 
what  the  elfecc  will  be  until  the  trial  is  made. 

Rheumati-sm  is  not  usually  a  severe  disease  here ;  but  it  is 
perhaps  more  frequent  than  any  other. 

Intermittent,  remittent,  and  typhoid  fever  are  very  seldom, 
if  ever,  known  to  originate  here  ;  but  occasionally  those  coming 
from  miasmatic  'listricts,  upon  their  arrival  show  symptoms  of 
these  (?i'iOfdcrs,  in  i\  mild  form.  They  come  charged  with  a 
pcbon,  and  the  t«ar?;e  is  tne  occasion  of  its  working  off.  This 
U  usually  soon  over  w.th,  however,  and  no  more  fever  and  ague 
is  heard  of  until  a  new  stock  of  Ite  m^lari:;!  poisi-:'  is  obtained 
outside.  This  was  quite  forcibly  illustrated  in  the  cases  of 
several   soldiers    now   stationed   at   this   post.     This   company 


Vv 


154 


OLD   AND   NEW    MACKINAC. 


arrived  here  from  New  Orleans  in  May,  1869.  During  the 
tlire^  montlis  following,  there  were  several  cases  of  intermittent 
f^ver.  But,  in  every  instance,  these  cases  were  easily  controlled 
in  two  or  three  days,  and  relapses  were  very  unusual. 

I  have  not  seen  a  well-marked  case  of  typhoid  fever  on 
the  island. 

In  most  chronic  diseases,  this  locality  usually  proves  highly 
beneficial.  The  supporting  of  the  vital  powers  is  one  great 
object  to  be  aimed  at  in  the  treatment  of  all  cases — especially 
chronic.  I  am  not  one  of  those,  however,  who,  in  their  blind 
adoration  of  " Supporting  Treatment"  forget  the  specific  disease, 
the  cause  perhaps  of  the  whole  difficulty,  and  neglect  iis  treat- 
ment when  it  is  possible  to  reach  it.  The  two  must  go  hand  in 
hand.  There  are  general  remedies  which  apply  to  almost  all 
cases ;  at  the  same  time  each  case  requires  additional  specific 
treatment,  according  to  character  of  the  specific  disease,  age,  sex, 
temperament,  and  a  thousand  other  circumstances  which  go 
to  make  up  the  case.  As  the  science  of  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine advances,  the  great  and,  until  recently,  quite  unrecognized 
truth,  stands  forth  in  more  glowing  light,  that  cases  are  to  be 
treated  and  not  diseases  alone.  The  disease  is  only  a  part,  often 
a  small  part,  of  what  goes  to  make  up  the  case.  Medication, 
therefore,  though  it  properly  holds  a  secondary  therapeutic  re- 
lation as  compared  with  general  hygienic  measures,  is  none  the 
less  important.     Both  are  essential. 

In  recommending  this  place  to  invalids,  I  would  refer  espe- 
cially to  that  large  class  of  cases  which  comes  under  the  head  of 
general  debility.  It  is  unnecessary  to  go  into  extensive  speci- 
fications. They  are  at  once  recognized  in  men,  women,  and 
children,  by  a  weakly,  sickly  appearance,  low  vital  powers,  feeble 
pulse,  coated  tongue,  pale  or  sallow  skin,  want  of  appetite, 
the  functions  of  the  various  organs  of  the  body  inadequately 
performed,  and  various  other  unhealthy  conditions.  No  better 
place  can  be  found  for  sickly  chlorotic  girls  and  puny  boys ; 
worn-out  men  and  women,  whether  suffering  from  overworked 
brain  or  muscle.    No  better  place  can  be  found  for  those  inclined 


MACKINAC   AS   A  HEALTH   RESORT. 


155 


to  hypochondriacy.  A  change  from  the  tiresome  sameness  of 
home  scenes  can  not  fail  to  do  good. 

Those  cases  of  consumption  which  are  not  far  advanced  are 
often  greatly  benefited. 

Bowel-complaints  seldom  prevail.  Hence,  this  is  a  good 
place  for  infants  and  children  during  the  hot  Summer  months. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  continue  the  enumeration.  I  have 
attempted  thus  hastily  to  put  for.h  some  general  ideas  which 
might  serve  as  guides  to  those  of  your  readers  who  may  have 
occasion  to  avail  themselves  of  a  resort  for  health  or  pleasure. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient 

servant, 

H.  R.  Mills,  M.  D.,  Post  Surgeon. 


The  following  extracts  are  from  the  pen  of  Daniel  Drake, 
M.  D.,  who,  in  a  professional  capacity,  visited  the  island  in 
1842.  In  his  "  Discourses  on  Northern  Lakes  and  Southern 
Invalids,"  we  find  the  following : 

"  When  the  south-west  winds,  which  have  traversed  the  vast 
plains  separating  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  from  the  Lakes,  reach  the 
shores  of  the  latter,  they  are  necessarily  dry  and  hot.  Hence, 
the  temperature  of  Buffalo,  Erie,  Cleveland,  Sandusky,  Toledo, 
Detroit,,  and  Chicago,  in  the  average  latitude  0/  42,  is  quite  as 
great  as  their  position  should  experience — greater,  perhaps,  than 
the  traveler  from  Louisiana  or  Carolina  would  expect.  But  the 
duration  of  these  winds  is  at  no  time  very  long,  and  whenever 
they  change  to  any  point  of  the  compass  north  or  west,  ^h«-._ 
bring  down  a  fresh  and  cool  atmosphere  to  revive  the  consti- 
tutions of  all  whom  they  had  wilted  down.  These  breathings 
from  the  north  descend  from  the  highlands  around  Lake  Su- 
perior,  which  are  nearly  as  elevated  above  the  sea  as  the 
mountains  of  Pennsylvania,  and  stretch  off  beyond  the  sources  of 
the  ft  I'  ppi  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  passing  over  that 
lake,  wt  n  Michigan  and  Huron  immediately  south  of  it,  the 
temperature  of  which,  in  Summer,  as  we  have  already  seen,  is 


i 


\\ 


156 


OLD   AND   NEW    MACKINAC. 


less  than  60  degrees,  lho?o  '.vind.-.  -uffer  little  increase  of  heat, 
and  become  so  charppv.'  with  iuoi:  ure  from  the  extended  watery 
surface  as  to  exert  on  the  feehngs  of  the  people  along  the  south- 
ern shores  of  Erie  and  Michigan  a  most  refreshing  influence. 

"  From  the  hour  that  the  voyager  enters  Lake  Huron,  at  the 
head  of  St.  Clair  River,  or  Michigan,  at  Chicago,  he  ceases, 
however,  to  feei  the  need  of  such  breeze  T  o..!  mc  r.orth- wast ;  for 
the  latitude  which  he  has  then  attained,  in  connection  with  the 
great  extent  of  the  deep  waters,  secures  to  him  an  invigorating 
atmosph.v  c,  even  while  Summer  rages  with  a  withering  energy  in 
the  Soutl; .  The  axis  of  each  of  these  lakes  is  nearly  in  the . 
meridian,  aiid  every  turn  made  by  the  wheels  of  his  boat  carries 
him  farther  into  the  temperate  and  genial  climate  of  the  upper 
lakes.  Entering  it  by  either  of  the  portals  just  mentioned,  he 
soon  passes  the  ktitude  of  44  degrees,  and  has  then  escaped 
from  the  region  of  miasmas,  mosquitoes,  congestive  fevers,  calomel, 
intermittents,  agtu  cakes,  liver-diseases,  Jaundice,  cholera-morbus, 
dyspepsia,  blue  devils,  and  duns  ! — on  the  whole  of  which  he 
looks  back  with  gay  indifference,  if  not  a  feeling  of  good- 
natured  CONTEMPT. 

"  Every-where  on  the  shores  of  the  Lakes,  from  Ontario  to 
Superior,  if  the  general  atmosphere  h&  calm  and  clear,  there  is, 
in  Summer,  a  refreshing  lake  and  land  breeze :  the  former  com- 
mencing in  the  forenoon,  and,  with  acapricii  us  temper,  continu- 
ing most  of  the  day;  iv  latte-  setting  i,  it  night,  after  the 
radiation  from  the  ground  has  reduced  its  heat  below  that  of 
the  water.  These  breezes  are  highly  acceptable  to  the  ^'oyager 
while  in  the  lower  lake  region,  and  by  no  r  ^  ms  to  be  despised 
after  he  resiche  .  the  upper. 

"  But  the  Summer  climate  of  the  LaV^^s  is  t  the  only  source 
of  benefit  to  invalids,  for  the  agitai!  impa  led  by  the  boat 
on  voyages  of  several  days'  durati(  ,  inroi  ii  waters  which 
are  never  stagnant  and  sometimes  rolllag,  will  be  found  among 
thi"  'nost  efficient  means  of  restoring  health  in  many  chronic 
diseases,  especially  those  of  a  nervous  character,  such  as 
hysteria  and  hypochondriacism. 


MACKINAC   AS  A  HEALTH   RESORT. 


157 


"Another  source  of  benefit  is  the  excitement  imparted  by 
the  voyage,  to  the  faculty  of  observation.  At  a  watering-place 
all  the  features  of  the  surrounding  scenery  are  soon  familiarized 
to  the  eye,  which  then  merely  wanders  over  the  commingled 
throngs  of  valetudinarians,  doctors,  dancers,  idlers,  gamblers, 
coquettes,  and  dandies,  whencv">  it  soon  returns  to  inspect  the 
nfirmities  or  tedium  vita  of  its  possessor;  but  on  protracted 
voyages  through  new  and  fresh  regions,  curiosity  is  stirred  up  to 
the  highest  pitch,  and  pleasantly  gratified  by  the  hourly  unfolding 
of  fresh  aspects  of  nature — some  new  blending  of  land  and 
lake;  a  group  of  islands  different  from  the  last ;  aquatic  fields 
ol  wild-rice  and  lilies;  a  rain  ow  walking  on  the  'face  of  the 
deep ;'  a  water-spout,  or  a  shifting  series  of  painted  clouds  seen 
in  the  kaleidoscope  of  heaven. 

"  But  the  North  has  attractions  of  a  different  kind,  which 
should  draw  into  its  Summer  bosom  those  who  seek  health  and 
recreation  in  travel.  From  Ontario  to  Michigan,  the  voyager 
passes  uic  midst  of  spots  consecrated  to  the  heart  of  every 
Americ  ,..1,  and  deeply  interesting  to  ail  who  delight  to  study  the 
history  of  their  native  land.  The  shores  and  waters  of  the 
i^akes,  so  often  reddened  with  the  blood  of  those  who  fought  and 
died  in  'le  cause  of  their  country,  will  present  to  the  traveler  of 
warm  patriotic  feelings,  scenes  which  he  can  not  behold 

without  emotion,  under  which  real  diseases  may  abate,  and  the 
imaginary  be  forgotten." 

After  briefly  alluding  to  the  mixed  French  and  Indian  pop- 
ulation around  the  head  of  the  Lakes,  he  thus  continues : 

"  But  a  different  inhabitant,  of  more  interest  than  either  to 
the  dyspeptic  and  the  gourmand,  is  the  celebrated  white-rish, 
which  deserves  to  be  called  by  its  classical  name,  Coregonus 
albusy  which,  liberally  translated,  signifies  food  of  the  nymphs. 
Its  flesh,  which  is  in  the  <  Id  and  clear  waters  of  the  lake  organ- 
ized and  imbued  with  life,  is  liable  but  to  this  objection, — that  he 
who  tastes  it  once  will  thenceforth  be  unable  to  relish  that  of 
any  other  fish. 

*'  The  island  of  Mackinac  is  the  last,  and,  of  the  whole,  the 


158 


OLD  AHD  NEW  MACKINAC. 


most  important  Summer  residence  to  which  we  can  direct  the  at 
tention  of  the  infirm  and  the  fashionable.  True  it  has  no  min- 
eral springs,  but  living  streams  of  pure  water,  cooled  down  to  the 
temperature  of  44  degrees,  gushing  from  its  lime-rock  precipices, 
and  an  atmosphere  never  sultry  or  malarious,  supersedes  all 
necessity  for  nauseating  solutions  of  iron,  sulphur,  and  epsom 
salts.  An  ague,  contracted  below,  has  been  known  to  cease 
even  before  the  patient  had  set  his  foot  on  the  island,  as  a  bad 
cold  evaporates  under  the  warm  sun  in  a  voyage  to  Cuba.  Its 
rocky,  though  not  infertile,  surface,  presents  but  few  decom- 
posable matters,  and  its  Summer  heats  are  never  great  enough 
to  convert  those  few  into  miasms. 

"  Situated  in  the  western  extremity  of  Huron,  within  view 
of  the  straits  which  connect  that  lake  with  Michigan,  and  almost 
in  sight,  if  forest  did  not  interpose,  of  the  portals  of  Lake  Su- 
perior, this  celebrated  island  has  long  been,  as  it  must  continue 
to  be,  the  capital  of  the  upper  lakes.  The  steamboats  which 
visit  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Mary  and  Green  Bay,  not  less  than 
the  daily  line  from  Buffalo  to  Milwaukee  and  Chicago,  are  found 
in  its  harbor ;  and  the  time  can  not  be  remote  when  a  small 
packet  will  ply  regularly  between  it  and  the  first.  By  these 
boats,  the  luxuries  of  the  South,  brought  fresh  and  succulent  as 
when  first  gathered,  are  supplied  every  day.  But  the  potatoes 
of  this  island,  rivaling  those  of  the  banks  of  the  Shannon,  and 
the  white-fish  and  trout  of  the  surrounding  waters,  yielding  only 
to  those  of  Lake  Superior,  render  all  foreign  delicacies  super- 
fluous. We  must  caution  the  gourmand,  however,  against  the 
excessive  use  of  trout  {Saltno  amethystes),  which  are  said  to 
produce  drowsiness ;  for  he  who  visits  Mackinac  should  sleep  but 
little,  lest  some  scene  of  interest  should  pass  away  unobserved." 

The  same  author,  in  his  "  Diseases  of  the  Mississippi  Valley," 
thus  alludes  to  Mackinac : 

"  The  three  great  reservoirs  of  clear  and  cold  water — Lakes 
Huron,  Michigan,  and  Superior,  with  the  island  of  Mackinac  in 
their  hydrographical  center — offer  a  delightful  hot  weather  asy- 
lum *'*  9X\  invalids  who  need  an  escape  from  crowded  cities, 


ICACKINAC  AS  A  HEALTH  RESORT. 


159 


paludal  exhalations,  sultry  climates,  and  officious  medication. 
Lake  Erie  lies  too  far  south,  and  is  bordered  with  too  many 
swamps,  to  be  included  in  the  salutiferous  group.  The  voyage 
from  Buffalo,  Cleveland,  or  Sandusky,  on  that  lake,  or  from 
Chicago  or  Milwaukee,  on  Lake  Michigan,  may  afford,  should 
the  water  be  agitated,  all  the  benefits  of  sea-sickness,  without 
its  tedious  prolongation.  On  reaching  Mackinac  an  agreeable 
change  of  climate  is  at  once  experienced,  and  the  bodily  feeling 
is  heightened  by  the  emotions  which  the  evidence  and  con- 
sciousness of  having  retreated  upon  an  island  raise  in  the  mind 
of  one  who  has  not  before  enjoyed  the  novelty  of  an  insular 
life.  To  his  jaded  sensibilities  all  around  him  is  fresh  and  re- 
freshing; a  feeling  of  security  comes  over  him,  and  when,  from 
the  rocky  battlements  of  Fort  Mackinac,  he  looks  down  upon 
the  surrounding  waters,  they  seem  a  moat  of  defense  against  the 
host  of  annoyances  from  which  he  had  sought  a  refuge.  Thus 
the  curative  state  of  mind  begins  to  act  on  his  body  from  the 
moment  of  his  landing,  and,  if  he  be  a  person  of  intelligence 
and  taste,  this  salutary  mental  excitement  will  not  soon  die 
away ;  for  the  historic  associations,  not  less  than  the  scenery  of 
this  island,  are  well  fitted  to  maintain  it. 

"  From  the  summit  of  the  island  the  eyes  rests  upon  a  num- 
ber of  spots  consecrated  to  military  history.  But  the  natural 
scenery  is  still  better  fitted  to  make  the  invalid  forget  his  ailments. 
Several  agreeable  and  exciting  boat-voyages  may  be  made  to  the 
neighboring  coasts,  from  each  of  which  a  new  aspect  may  be 
had,  and  the  island  itself,  although  but  nine  miles  in  circuit, 
affords  opportunities  for  a  great  variety  of  rambling  on  foot.  In 
these  excursions  he  may  ascend  to  the  apex  of  the  island,  once 
the  site  of  a  fort.  From  this  summit,  elevated  far  above  all  that 
surrounds  it,  the  panorama  is  such  as  would  justify  the  epithet 
to  Mackinac — Queen  cf  the  Isles.  To  the  west  are  the  in- 
dented shores  of  the  upper  peninsula  of  Michigan ;  to  the  south, 
those  of  the  lower,  presenting  in  the  interior  a  distant  and  smoky 
line  of  elevated  table-land  ;  up  the  straits,  green  islets  may  be 
seen  peeping  above  the  waters ;  directly  in  front  of  the  harbor, 


vt. 


i6o 


OLD  AND  NEW  MACKINAC. 


Round  Island  forms  a  beautiful  foreground,  while  tb';  larger, 
Bois  Blanc,  with  its  light-house,  stretches  off  to  th£  east;  and 
to  the  north  are  other  islands  at  varying  distances,  which 
complete  the  archipelago. 

"  When  the  observer  directs  his  eyes  upon  the  waters  more 
than  the  land,  and  the  day  is  fair,  with  moderate  wind,  he  finds 
the  surface  as  variable  in  its  tints  as  if  clothed  in  a  robe  of 
changeable  silk.  Green  and  blue  are  the  governing  hues,  but 
they  flow  into  each  other  with  such  facility  and  frequency,  that 
while  still  contemplating  a  particular  spot,  it  seems,  as  if  by 
magic,  transformed  into  another.  But  these  midday  beauties 
vanish  before  those  of  the  setting  sun,  when  the  boundless  hori- 
zon of  lake  and  land  seems  girt  around  with  a  fiery  zone  of 
clouds,  and  the  brilliant  drapery  of  the  skies  paints  itself  upon 
the  surface  of  the  waters.  Brief  as  they  are  beautiful,  these 
evening  glories,  like  spirits  of  the  air,  quickly  pass  away,  and 
the  gay  mantle  of  night  warns  the  b'iholder  to  depart  for  the 
village  while  he  may  yet  make  his  way  along  a  narrow  and  rocky 
path,  beset  with  tufts  of  prickly  juniper.  Having  refreshed 
himself  for  an  hour,  he  may  stroll  out  upon  the  beach  and  listen 
to  the  serenade  of  the  waters.  Wave  after  wave  will  break  at 
his  feet  over  the  white  pebbles,  and  return  as  limpid  as  it  came. 
Up  *■':?  straits,  he  will  see  the  evening  star  dancing  on  the  ruffled 
surf  i-  ,  and  the  loose  sails  of  the  lagging  schooner  flapping  in 
the  ntful  land-breeze,  while  the  milky  way— Death's  Path  of 
the  red  man — will  dimly  appear  in  the  waters  before  him  1" 

The  following  extracts  are  just  to  the  point,  and  will  meet 
with  a  hearty  response  from  the  thousands  who  have  experienced 
similar  sensations  in  visiting  Mackinac : 


"  Mackinaw,  Mich.,  August  j,  1856. 
.  .  .  "Yours  of  July  20th  has  been  forwarded  to  me  at 
this  place,  whither  I  have  come  in  search  of  the  fugitive, 
health — at  least,  to  escape  from  the  debilitations  of  our  Summer 
heats.  I  wish  you  wtre  here  !  It  is  a  fortnight  to-day  since  we 
arrived,  and  such  paradisiacal  weather  as  we  have  had  I   just 


MACKINAC  AS  A  HEALTH  RESORT. 


Idl 


warm  enough  not  to  be  cold,  and  just  cold  enough  not  to  be 
warm.  Only  one  thing  is  wanting  to  me,  and  I  should  thrive 
like  a  green  bay  tree  ;  and  that  is  the  home  diet. 

"  Last  night  we  had  some  commotion  among  the  elements, 
and  to-day  it  is  cloudy,  and  a  fire  is  comfortable.  But  a  few 
whiffs  of  this  air  would  make  your  lungs  give  a  hygienic  laugh. 
I  am  sorry  to  hear  there  are  any  symptoms  in  your  throat  or 
elsewhere  which  give  you  present  discomfort  or  forebodings.  I 
am  afraid  of  that  Eastern  climate  for  your  lungs.  I  do  not 
believe  that  air  will  ever  agree  with  you.  It  requires  a  Boreas 
to  blow  it,  and  none  but  a  Boreas  can  breathe  it.     .    .    . 

'  "Horace  Mann." 

"  Mackinaw,  Mich.,  August  6,  1857. 
.  .  .  "Here  we  all  are  at  Mackinaw,  and  enjoying  our- 
selves too  well  not  to  tell  you  about  it,  and  to  wish  you  were 
here  with  us.  The  climate,  the  air,  etc.,  perform  the  promise 
made  last  year ;  and,  as  all  the  family  are  with  me,  I  enjoy  vastly 
more  than  I  did  last  year.  I  never  breathed  such  air  before  j 
and  this  must  be  some  that  was  clear  out  of  EdeP;  and  did  not 
get  cursed.  I  sleep  every  night  under  sheet,  blanket,  and  cov- 
erlet, and  no  day  is  too  warm  for  smart  walking  and  vigorous 
bowling.  The  children  are  crazy  with  animal  spirits,  and  eat  in 
such  a  way  as  to  demonstrate  the  epigastri:  paradox  that  the 
quantity  contained  may  be  greater  than  the  container.  I  verily 
believe  if  you  would  spend  one  Summer  here — say  from  about 
the  middle  of  July  to  the  middle  of  September — it  would  mi.ke 
your  brain  as  good  as  Samuel  Downer's  brain  ever  was  since 
it  occupied  its  present  cranium ;  and  that  is  saying  a  great 

deal.    .    .    .  Horace  Mann." 

II 


t' 


\ 


I  i 


163 


OLD   AND   NEW  MACK!NAC. 


I  / 


CHAPTER  XL 


MACKINAC    CITY. 


THE  Straits  of  Mackinac,  as  we  have  seen,  have  been  the 
theater  of  interesting  and  exciting  events  from  the  ear- 
liest times  down  to  the  present.  While  the  whole  southern  por- 
tion of  the  State  was  yet  a  wilderness  which  no  white  man  had 
ever  penetrated,  Mackinac  was  the  home  of  the  missionary, 
the  trader,  and  the  soldier,  and  the  center  of  a  valuable  and 
fast  increasing  traffic  with  the  Indians  of  the  North-west. 

And  it  was  from  Mackinac,  as  a  center,  that  colonization 
spread  through  the  surrounding  country.  Detroit  was  settled 
in  1701,  by  Cadillac,  who  for  several  years  had  commanded  at 
Mackinac.  The  history  of  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  as  well 
as  other  North-western  Sta'.es,  must  begin  with  a  notice  of  this 
point,  because  the  earliest  settlers  of  these  States  started  out 
from  Mackinac,  and  the  period  is  yet  within  the  memory  of 
many  now  living  on  this  island  when  Chicago  came  to  Mackinac 
for  supplies. 

These  are  significant  facts.  The  early  Jesuits  and  traders 
fixed  upon  Mackinac  as  a  basis  of  their  missionary  and  com- 
mercial operations,  not  by  mere  chance,  but  because  of  its 
natural  advantages.  Mackinac  is  a  historical  center  because 
it  is  a  geographical  and  commercial  center.  Nature  alone  has 
given  it  its  advantages,  and  made  it  what  it  has  been  in  history. 
For  a  series  of  years,  however,  its  natural  advantages  seemed 
to  be  overlooked,  and  the  surging  wave  of  population  rolled 
across  Southern  Michigan,  and  so  on  to  the  westward.  Yet 
it  has  never  been  quite  forgotten,  and  at  the  present  time 
we  believe  it  to  be  gradually  rising  into  favor,  owing  to  the 


MACKINAC  CITY. 


163 


fact  that  it  is  better  known  and  better  appreciated  than  ever 
before. 

But  we  do  not  propose  to  enter  into  any  elaborate  discus- 
sion of  its  merits.  We  wish  simply  to  set  forth  a  few  facts 
relative  to  an  enterprise  just  now  attracting  some  att  Ltion. 
Ferris,  in  his  "States  and  Territories  of  the  Great  West,' 
makes  the  following  mention  of  the  straits :  "  If  one  were  to 
point  out  on  the  map  of  North  America  a  site  for  a  great  cen- 
tral city  in  the  lake  region,  it  would  be  in  the  immediate  vicin- 
ity OF  THE  Straits  of  Michilimackinac.  A  city  so  located 
would  have  the  command  of  the  mineral  trade,  the  fisheries,  the 
furs,  and  the  lumber  of  the  entire  North.  It  might  become 
the  metropolis  of  a  great  commercial  empire.  It  would  be  the 
Venice  of  the  Lakes."  In  1853,  Mr.  Edgar  Conkling,  then  of 
Cincinnati,  with  something  of  the  same  appreciation  of  this 
point,  secured  a  large  tract  of  land  on  the  south  side  of  the 
straits.  In  1857-58,  he  surveyed  the  city  site;  but  the  financial 
revulsion  at  that  time,  and  the  war  which  soon  followed,  pre- 
vented further  operations  until  the  present.  During  the  past 
Winter  a  good  dock  has  been  constructed,  and  preparations 
are  fast  being  made  to  build  up  the  new  city.  The  streets,  a", 
surveyed,  are  eighty  feet  in  width,  anu  the  avenues  one  hun- 
dred and  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  respectively,  and  are  to 
be  forever  unobstructed  by  improvements  of  any  kind,  shade- 
trees  alone  excepted.  The  lots,  with  the  exception  of  those 
in  fractional  blocks,  are  fifty  by  one  imndred  and  fifty  feet. 
Old  Mnckinac  Point,  where  may  still  be  seen  the  ruins  of  the 
old  "  Fort  Michilimackinac,"  has  been  reserved  for  a  park. 
It  is  now  in  a  state  of  nature,  but  in  this  instance  nalure  has 
done  more,  unassisted  by  art,  than  is  often  accomplished  by 
both  combined.  A  richer  and  more  beautiful  variety  of  ever- 
greens can  nowhere  be  found  than  hcvc,  and  "when  the  skillful 
hand  of  the  horticulturist  has  marked  its  outlines  and  threaded 
It  with  avenues  and  foot-paths,  pruned  its  trees  and  carpeted 
ts  surface  with  green,  it  will  present  the  very  perfection  of  all 
that  constitutes  a  park  delightful,"    Suitable  blocks  and  lots 


iillill 

ffllM 


v.  u 


164 


OLD  AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


for  county  and  city  buildings,  school-houses,  churches,  and 
institutions  of  learning  and  charity,  will  be  donated  for  their 
respective  purposes  whenever  the  proper  authorities  are  pre- 
pared to  select  suitable  sites.  There  are  three  good  harbors 
on  the  east,  north,  and  west  sides  of  the  city,  respectively. 
The  soil  is  sandy,  and  the  land  sufficiently  elevated  above  the 
level  of  the  water  to  warrant  an  entire  absence  of  mud  forever. 
"  There  are  no  marshes,  no  tide-covered  sands,  no  flood-washed 
banks,  no  narrow  and  isolated  rocks  or  ridges,  to  intercept  the 
progress  of  commercial  growth  and  activity.  On  the  contrary, 
the  lake  rises  under  the  heaviest  rains  but  little,  and  breaks 
its  waves  on  a  dry  shore  raised  far  above  its  level." 

At  a  comparatively  recent  date,  large  additions  have  been 
n:ade  to  this  property;  so  that  now  the  real  estate  interests  of 
the  enterprise  cover  an  area  of  about  thirty-five  thousand  acres, 
seven  thousand  of  which  lie  on  the  north  side,  upon  the  upper 
peninsula.  Much  of  this  land  abounds  in  the  elements  of 
wealth  and  prosperity.  There  may  be  found  peat  and  hard- 
wood suitable  for  smelting  and  manufacturing  iron  and  copper, 
gypsum  in  abundance,  "  stone  for  water-lime,  building-stone, 
and  building-lime,"  while  all  geologists  agree  that  the  salt 
formation  underneath  its  surface  will  richly  reward  all  who 
turn  their  attention  to  the  manufacture  of  that  indispensable 
article. 

The  policy  of  the  proprietor  of  this  enterprise  is  at  once 
liberal  and  enlightened.  Every  legal  measure  will  be  taken  to 
exclude  forever  the  sale  of  alcohol  as  a  beverage,  thus  insuring 
the  future  inhabitants  freedom  from  midnight  brawls  and 
drunken  revels.  The  public  wants  are  to  be  liberally  provided 
for,  and  the  whole  property  finally  devoted  to  the  building  up 
and  erdowment  of  a  '^grand,  national,  unscctarian,  Christian 
UNIVERSITY,"  and  will  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  responsible 
trustees  whenever  the  public  is  ready  to  make  the  enterprise  its 
own.     Such  are  the  facts  as  they  have  been  communicated  to  us. 

The  idea  of  a  university  at  the  straits  may  strike  some  as 
premature  and  uncalled  for :  but  two  considerations  are  alone 


MACKINAC  CITY. 


i6s 


more  than  sufficient  to  justify  an  immediate  advance  in  that 
direction.  First,  the  health  of  this  region  is  such  as  to  insure 
the  highest  success  of  such  an  institution.  The  isothermal 
line  of  Mackinac  is  that  which  has  proved  the  most  favorable, 
both  in  Europe  and  America,  for  intellectual  development. 

This  all-important  and  only  truly  fundamental  idea  of 
health  is  too  often  forgotten  in  the  location  of  institutions  of 
learning;  and,  as  a  consequence,  the  mind  is  frequently  devel- 
oped only  at  the  expense  of  the  body.  Men  become  intel- 
lectual giants  and  physical  pigmies  at  one  and  the  same  time. 
But  the  invigorating  atmosphere  of  Mackinac  City  will  do  for 
the  physical  part  just  what  a  thorough  university  course  will 
do  for  the  mental,  and  thus  a  symmetrical  and  perfect  devel- 
opment will  be  secured.  The  facts  elucidated  in  the  previous 
chapter  will  prove  this. 

The  health  of  Mackinac  is  not  disputed.  A  second  fact  we 
regard  as  equally  indisputable :  a  few  years  will  people  North- 
ern Michigan  and  the  unoccupied  territory  of  the  North-west 
with  tens  of  thousands,  who  will  need  just  such  an  institution 
as  the  one  proposed.  And,  besides  this  "  coming  population," 
hundreds  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  our  more  Southern  and 
much  less  healthful  cities  and  towns  will  be  but  too  glad  to  re- 
sort to  the  even-tempered  Mackinac  to  secure  an  education, 
whenever  the  pioper  facilities  for  that  purpose  are  afforded. 

That  the  public  attention  is  already  turning  this  way  is  too 
evident  to  need  proof  The  "  Northern  Pacific"  is  no  longer  a 
mooted  question,  but  is  actually  in  process  of  construction, 
with  a  fair  prospect  of  making  the  straits  its  eastern  terminus  ; 
while  several  roads  from  the  more  southern  cities  of  this  and 
other  States  are  even  now  hastening  toward  Mackinac  to  claim 
a  share  of  the  spoils.  The  day  is  not  far  in  the  future  when 
Mackinac  will  be  a  railroad  center,  as  it  is  by  nature  a  commer- 
cial center,  and  these  roads  will  all  lay  their  laurels  at  the  feet 
of  the  new  city  and  rising  university. 

As  to  the  prospects  of  Mackinac  City  and  the  wealth  of  the 
surrounding  country,  which  must  eventually  concentrate  here, 


* 


>l 


i66 


OLD  AND  NEW  MACKINAC. 


the  following  extracts  are  in  point.  They  are  from  £.  D. 
Mansfield's  Review  of  "  Old  Mackinaw,"  by  Strickland,  as  pub- 
lished in  the  Methodist  Quarterly  Revieiv  for  June,  1861 : 

•'Whoever  looks  upon  the  map  of  North  America  will  be 
struck  with  the  singular  conformation  of  both  land  and  water 
round  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw.  There  is  scarcely  any  thing  in 
American  geography  more  remarkable.  The  vast  expanse  of 
Atacfican  lakes,  flowing  through  more  than  two  thousand  miles, 
and  covering  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  square  mile  i  of 
water  surface,  seems  here  to  concentrate,  and  the  three  great 
'ike?.  Superior,  Huron,  and  Michigan  (to  speak  metaphorically) 
lay  then  heads  together,  as  if  to  consider  some  notable  point. 
Frvr  •.  •>  the  north-west  of  the  straits  stretches  Lake  Superior, 
with  its  clear  wat'.rs  and  its  pictured  rocks.  Far  to  the  -,outh 
lies  Lake  Michigan,  with  its  long  arm  at  Green  Bay  ;  while  to 
the  south-east  stretch  the  dark  waters  of  Huron,  with  its 
Manitou  Islands  and  Georgian  Sea.  But  vast  as  are  these  in- 
land seas,  they  here  meet  together.  Superior  forms  its  waters 
througn  .he  Sault  of  St.  Mary ;  Michigan  rolls  through  the 
Straits  of  Mackinaw ;  and  the  magnificent  Huron  comes  up  to 
meet  them.  That  a  point  so  remarkable  by  nature  should  be- 
come equally  so  in  the  growth  of  a  young  and  rising  empire,  seems 
to  be  a  necessar)'  inference  from  these  facts.  There  are  but  few 
points  on  the  earth  which  present  such  striking  advantages  for 
the  pursuits  of  commerce.  If  we  look  upon  the  map  of  the 
globe,  we  shall  find,  perhaps,  only  lour  or  five  which  have 
similar  features.  The  S'.raits  of  Gibraltar,  separating  Europe 
from  Africa ;  Constantinople,  on  the  Bosphorus ;  Singapore, 
on  the  Straits  of  Malacca ;  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  are  ti.e 
only  ones  which  now  strike  us  as  presenting  a  parallel.  Singa- 
pore has  rapidly  concentrated  A:;i  itic  navigation,  and  more 
various  people  may  ue  found  there  than  r.t  any  ocean  point. 
Panama  is  rising  to  commercial  importance  with  equal  rapidity, 
while  Gibraltar  and  Constantinople  are  wcM-rpnowned  for  the 
value  of  their  positions.  Mackinaw  presents  nearly  the  same 
features.     Not  only  do  great  inland  seas  he/e  meet  together,  but 


r-:i'. 


MACKINAC   CITY. 


167 


on  every  side  of  these  waters  press  down  great  districts  of  laud, 
rich,  variouH,  and  abundant  in  tiieir  resources.  On  the  north 
lies  the  peninsula  of  Canada,  which,  .ilthough  long  regarded  as 
barren  and  inho^.  ;)itable,  has  been  recently  proved  a  country  of 
good  soil,  abundant  water,  and  mild  climate.  To  the  south  is 
the  peninsula  of  Michigan,  now  fast  filling  up  with  a  thrifty 
American  population.  'I'o  the  west  is  the  great  mining  region, 
where  copper  and  iron  seem  inexhaustible.  Thus  nature  seems 
to  have  made  this  place  as  rich  in  the  materials  as  in  the  chan- 
nels of  commerce.  Nor  has  she  placed  any  barriers  in  the  way 
of  its  future  growth.  Constantinople  has  its  plague,  and  Panama 
its  fevers ;  but  Mackinaw,  grand  in  its  scenery,  and  opulent  in 
its  resources,  is  equally  salubrious  in  its  climate,  and  inviting  to 
the  seekers  for  health,  pleasure,  and  repose.     .     .     . 

"  Looking,  now,  to  the  commercial  and  industrial  development 
of  that  region,  we  find  still  more  extraordinary  results.  At- 
tached to  the  State  of  Michigan  is  the  penninsula,  which  is  in- 
closed between  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw,  Lake  Michigan,  and 
Lake  Superior.  For  two  centuries  after  the  settlement  of  New 
England  and  New  York,  the  wild,  unfrequentfd,  unknown  shores 
of  Lake  Superior  were  unsuspected  of  any  other  capacity  for 
production  than  those  of  the  forest  and  the  lake.  It  is  only 
since  1846  that  its  immense  beds  of  iron  and  copper  were  dis- 
covered, and  only  within  the  last  ten  years  that  that  region  has 
exhibited  a  wealth  of  mineral  production  which  the  world  can 
scarcely  parallel  on  an  equal  space.  No  sooner  were  the  facts 
known  than  copper  companies  (and  since  iron  companies)  began 
to  be  formed  with  the  celerity  and  energy  of  an  excited  specu- 
lation. Capital  was  found  in  the  great  cities  ready  to  be  in- 
vested in  such  enterprises,  laborers  flocked  thither,  mines  were 
opened  ;  and  now  we  have  immense  bodies  of  copper  annually 
transported  to  Boston,  Pitt.sburg,  Cleveland,  and  other  places, 
to  be  smelted.  In  1858,  the  copper  ore  exported  from  points  in 
the  peninsula  was  six  thousand  tons,  which  yielded  four  thousand 
tons  of  pure  copper,  worth  two  millions  of  dollars.  When  we 
consider  that  this  is  one-third  the  amount  of  copper  produced  by 


i68 


OLD  AND  NEW   MACKINAC. 


Great  Britain,  and  one-seventh  of  the  whole  amount  produced 
out  of  America,  we  can  understand  the  value  of  these  mines, 
which  have  scarcely  been  opened  ten  years. 

"  In  the  same  region,  and  above  the  Sault  of  St.  Mary,  are 
iron  mines  equally  extraordinary.  The  United  States  has  in 
various  sections  immense  deposits  of  iron.  But  in  all  the  basins 
of  the  lakes,  there  is  nothing  comparable  to  this.  I.i  the  vicinity 
of  Marquette,  a  flourishing  port  of  Lake  Superior,  iron  hills  rise 
from  six  to  seven  '  jndred  feet  in  height,  which  are  a  solid  mass  of 
iron  ore.  When  smelted  in  the  furnace,  they  yield  more  than 
half  in  pure  iron  of  a  superior  quality,  which  is  in  demand  at  all 
the  manufacturing  towns  of  the  East. 

"  In  the  meanwhile  the  resources  of  the  country  which  were 
obvious  to  the  eye  were  naturally  sought  and  developed  by  a 
different  class  of  i)ersons.  The  fisheries  yielded  the  finest  fish 
in  exhaustless  quantities ;  and  from  Sandusky  Bay,  in  Ohio,  to 
Superior  City,  in  the  wild  North-west,  the  lake  salmon  and  the 
Mackinaw  trout  are  transported,  like  the  oysters  of  the  Atlantic, 
to  gratify  the  epicuiean  palate,  in  town  and  city.  These 
fisheries  have  no,,  risen  to  great  importance.  They  are  sup- 
posed to  exceed  in  product  the  whole  of  the  other  fresh-water 
fisheries  in  the  United  States.  At  this  time,  about  one  hundred 
thousand  barrels  of  fish  are  freighted,  and  the  annual  value  of 
the  fisheries  amounts  to  a  million  of  dollars. 

"  No  sooner  had  civilization  penetrated  the  wilderness  of 
Lake  Superior  than  another  product  came  into  immediate  de- 
mand. Far  as  the  eye  could  cast  its  searching  glance,  or  the 
traveler  penetrate  the  dark  forests  of  Michigan,  of  Wisconsin, 
or  of  Canada,  there  rose  the  tall,  slim  trunks,  and  deep-green 
foliage  of  the  pine.  Here  was  iraterial  in  which  the  people 
south  and  west  were  deficient.  The  pines  of  the  Alleghany 
and  the  Susquehanna  had  begun  to  diminish.  Their  stock  would 
soon  be  gone,  while  here  stretched  away  hundreds  and  thousands 
of  miles  of  pine-forest.  Very  soon,  as  the  settlements  began  to 
increase  in  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  Minnesota,  powerful  steam- 
engines  wer;;  erected  on  the  Saginaw,  the  Sable,  Traverse  Bay, 


MACKINAC  CITY. 


l59 


La  Crosse  River,  St.  Peter's,  and  throughout  the  pine  region, 
creating  nt  once  an  i,.  «l  ^nse  trade  in  pine  lumber.  The  great 
center  of  the  pineries  at  this  time  is  in  the  lower  peninsula  of 
Michigan,  south  of  Old  Mackinaw.  This  lumber  region  is  one 
of  the  wonders  of  our  country,  and  it  is  supposed  that  Michigan 
is  the  greatest  lumber  region  of  the  world.  Here  are  not  only 
interminable  forests  of  choice  pine,  but  water  outlets  on  every 
side.  At  the  northern  extremity  are  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw ; 
at  the  east,  Saginaw  and  Sable ;  at  the  west  is  Traverse  Bay,  the 
Muskegon,  and  Grand  River ;  while  to  the  south  is  the  northern 
outlet  of  Lake  Erie.  On  every  side,  lakes  and  rivers  are  ready  to 
transport  the  products  of  Michigan,  which  enjoys  every  advan- 
tage which  belongs  to  the  northern  temperate  zone.  As  this  im- 
mense production,  this  flow  inward  of  the  growing  population, 
this  growth  of  industry,  goes  on,  there  will  finally  arise  a  great 
commercial  city  on  the  straits.  Before  we  speak  of  this,  let  us 
glance  at  the  commerce  of  the  Lakes  which  has  grown  already 
out  of  this  recent  development  of  mines  and  fisheries  and 
pineries.  Even  the  people  of  the  United  States,  accustomed  to 
the  rapid  growth  of  their  own  country,  have  scarcely  beon  able 
to  realize  that  of  this  lake  commerce. 

"  But  a  very  few  years  since,  scarce'-'  a  single  steamer  pro- 
ceeded beyond  Detroit,  and  not  five  year-  !<ince  the  newspapers 
announced  as  an  extraordinary  event  the  annual  voyage  of  a 
passenger-vessel  to  the  upper  end  of  Lase  Superior.  Recently, 
however,  the  canal  round  the  Sault  of  St.  Mary  has  been  com- 
pleted, and  this  has  given  a  great  impetus  to  the  navigation  of 
Lake  Superior.  In  1854,  but  two  steamboats  and  five  sail-ves- 
sels reached  Superior  City.  In  1856,  two  years  after,  forty 
steamers  and  sixteen  sail-vessels  reached  that  port.  Now,  hun- 
dreds of  vessels  navigate  that  lake  from  one  extremity  to  the 
other.  What  the  commerce  of  this  great  northern  lake  will  be 
may  be  judged  by  the  startling  facts,  th.  1  there  are  now  six- 
teen hundred  vessels  navigating  the  North-western  lakes, 
manned  by  thirteen  thousand  seamen,  and  trading  with  ports 
on  five  thousand  miles  of  lake  and  river  coasts.     The  exports 


.i 


I/O 


I  > 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


and  imports  amount  to  hundreds  of  millions  in  value,  and  are 
still  increasing  ai  a  most  rapid  rate.  Since  the  continuation  of 
the  canal  round  the  Sault  of  St.  Mary,  the  annual  value  of  ex- 
ports and  imports  which  pass  through  rhe  Straits  of  Mackinaw 
is  estimated  at  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars ;  and  this  com- 
merce of  thd  great  lake  will  flow  on  till  it  exceeds  that  of  the 
Caspian  or  the  Black  Sea,  till  its  shores  shall  be  lined  with 
cities,  and  the  story  of  Marquette,  and  the  victory  of  Pontiac, 
become  the  classic  legends  of  marveling  boyhood.  With  these 
facts  before  us,  it  is  no  surprise  to  find  that,  while  the  imme- 
diate country  around  Old  Mackinaw  is  yet  a  wilderness,  an  en- 
terprising gentleman  has  laid  out  a  city  on  the  site  of  '  Old 
Mackinaw.'  There  was  one  laid  out  years  before  at  the  upper 
end  of  Lake  Superior,  and  is  now  a  large  town,  growing  with 
great  rapidity.  Af  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw,  as  well  as  the  upper 
end  of  Lake  Superior,  there  must  be  large  cities  to  supply  the 
demands  of  commerce.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  speculation,  but  a 
necessity  of  nature.  The  same  Jiecessity  has  already  created  Buffalo, 
Toledo,  Detroit,  Chicago,  and  St.  Louis.  The  demand  for  such 
towns  on  the  shores  'if  laka  Huron  and  Superior,  and  especially 
at  the  Straits  of  AJ  cktmiw,  whose  bay  and  Lake  Michigan  flow 
together,  are  obviously  fa  '■  theater  than  those  which  have  already 
caused  the  growth  of  Buffalo  and  Chicago.  They  have  grown  to 
supply  the  commerce  of  comparatively  limited  districts.  One 
means  of  testing  this,  is  to  apply  radial  lines  to  the  site  of  any 
city  existent  or  proposed,  so  as  to  include  what  naturally  belongs 
to  them,  and  thus  compare  them  with  one  another.  The  radial 
lines  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  extend  across  the  ocean  to 
Europe  on  one  hand,  and  across  the  mountains  to  the  valley  of 
the  Mississippi  on  the  other.  In  looking  to  this  fact,  we  are  no 
longer  surprised  that  New  York  has  its  millions  of  inhabitants, 
and  Philadelphia  its  six  hundred  thousand. 

"  If  we  look  to  the  radial  lines  of  Chicago,  we  find  that 
they  are  limited  on  the  south  by  the  competition  of  St.  Louis, 
and  on  the  north  by  Milwaukee.  Yet  Chicago,  at  the  southern 
end  of  Lake  Michigan,  has  risen  to  be  a  large  city  by  a  sudden 


MACKINAC    CITV. 


171 


and  extraordinary  growth,  arising  from  the  rich  though  limited 
country  about  it.  Apply  these  radial  lines  to  Mackinaw,  and 
we  find  that  they  naturally  include  all  of  M  higa,  ,  a  large  part 
of  Wisconsin,  and  a  large  part  of  Canada  Wc  t  j  but  in  reference 
to  water  navigation,  fio  interior  sue  in  Af'  nca  is  et/^ial  to  that  of 
Mackinaw.     Here  concentrate  the  n  wi^'  "^  ng.    v  thousand 

quare  miles  of  water  surface,  which  h     no 
if  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw.     Two  fat 
a  commercial  point  which  concentrai 
perior  and  Michigan  mttst  lie  within  the  r 
but  there  is  no  such  point  but  Mackinaw. 


center  but  that 

ob«'-  '■  v^ed  :  That 

'e  of  Lakes  Su- 

;  their  coasts ; 

Ihe  other  is,  that  the 


point  of  commerce  which  offers  the  shortect  distance,  and  there- 
fore the  cheapest,  to  the  great  markets  of  the  Atlantic,  will  be 
preferred.  Mackinaw  is  five  hundred  miles  nearer  to  Buffalo 
than  is  Fond  du  Lac,  and  three  hundred  miles  nearer  than  Chi- 
cago. So  it  is  the  same  distance  nearer  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence, or  the  city  of  New  York.  It  is  on  the  south  side  only, 
through  the  peninsula  of  Michigan,  and  toward  the  States  of  In- 
diana and  Ohio,  that  the  position  of  Mackinaw  seems  deficient 
in  communications.  But  we  no  sooner  see  this  than  we  see  also 
two  great  lines  of  railroad  progressing  from  the  south  through 
the  peninsula,  toward  Mackinaw.  The  one  passes  on  the  west 
side  from  Fort  Wayne  (Indiana),  through  Grand  Rapids  and 
Traverse  Bay.  The  other  through  Lansing  and  Amboy ;  both 
terminating  on  the  north  at  Mackinaw,  and  both  by  connection 
with  Indiana  and  Ohio  roads  at  Cincinnati  on  the  south,  whence 
they  will  sooa  be  carried  to  the  orange-growing  shores  of 
Florida.  Thus  may  some  future  traveler  be  borne  in  a  few 
hours  from  the  soft  air  of  the  Southern  Atlantic  to  the  keen 
breezes  of  the  north,  and  bathe  his  languid  limbs  in  the  clear, 
cold  waters  of  Michigan. 

"  Thus  briefly  have  we  followed  the  facts  presented  by  Mr. 
Strickland,  till  we  find  ourselves  again  standing  on  the  site  of 
'Old  Mackinaw  ;'  no  more  the  single,  lonely  spot  of  civilization 
amid  red  warriors  and  Alpine  forests,  but  just  emerging  to  light, 
amid  a  wonderful  growth  of  people,  of  commerce,  of  industry, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


ISO   ■^"     I^^H 

^  Uii    12.2 


I' 
i 


I!:  Ml   12.0 


IL25  i  1.4 


1.6 


^ 


V] 


7 


WA 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


}3  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WHSTIR.N.Y.  MSIO 

(716)  •73-4S03 


■M 


OLD   AND   NEW   MACKINAC. 


and  art  The  forests  still  stand,  scarcely  broken  ;  but  the  sound 
of  the  advancing  host,  which  is  to  level  them  with  the  ground, 
and  build  up  the  stmctures  of  civil  society,  can  not  be  mistaken. 
They  come  with  the  heavy  tread  and  confused  noise  of  an  army 
with  banners. 

"The  growth  of  the  American  States,  as  we  have  said,  is 
from  the  outer  to  the  inner  circles ;  from  the  shores  of  the  At- 
lantic and  the  Pacific,  from  Hit  Bay  of  St.  Lawrence  and  the 
mouths  of  the  Hudson  and  the  Mississippi,  toward  the  interior. 
Then  we  had  Boston,  New  York,  Quebec,  and  New  Orleans,  long 
before  we  had  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis,  and  Chicago, 
which  are  the  second  growth  when  the  wave  flowed  over  the  Al- 
leghanies.  Again  the  wave  is  flowing  from  the  valleys  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Mississippi,  into  the  great 
central  basin  of  the  Lakes,  which,  lying  in  the  very  center  of  the 
North  American  Continent,  are  the  last  to  receive,  as  they  will 
ultimately  concentrate,  the  great  moving  mass  of  humanity  and 
civilization.  The  circles  are  growing  narrower  and  Mackinaw, 
which  was  the  center  of  Indian  and  of  missionary  romance,  will 
finally  become  one  of  the  great  centers  of  commercial  growth 
and  social  progress,  presenting  the  contrast  between  the  soli- 
tudes of  nature  and  the  wild  life  of  the  Indian,  on  one  hand, 
with  the  busy  activity  of  modern  society,  its  multitude  of  people, 
and  the  wonderful  arts. 

"The  steady,  uninterrupted  growth  of  our  country,  which 
no  other  nation  can  now  interrupt,  affords  at  once  the  moral 
evidence  thai  what  we  have  seen  of  growth  and  development 
in  the  past  will  be  exhibited  in  a  progressive  line  through  the 
future  till  ages  have  passed  away.  We  have  seen  from  the  little 
settlements  at  Plymouth  and  Jamestown  their  gradual  growth 
inward,  till  cities  arose  along  our  coasts  which  rival  the  largest 
of  ancient  nations.  We  have  seen  them,  again,  extending  along 
the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi,  till  great  towns,  filled  with  com- 
merce and  with  arts,  arose  upon  their  banks.  We  have  c^en 
them  enter  the  basin  of  the  Lakes,  till  Buffalo  spreads  itself 
along  the  rapids  of  Niagara,  till  Chicago  looms  up  in  a  day 


MACKINAC   CIT7. 


173 


and  St.  Paul  looks  down  from  the  far  north-west  Why  should 
not  this  movement  continue?  What  should  interrupt  it?  We 
may  imagine  the  beautiful  shores  of  Huron  and  Superior  alive 
with  the  chariots  of  commerce,  and  gleaming  with  the  spires 
of  beautiful  towns.  Here,  where  we  have  stood  on  the  site 
of  'Old  Mackinaw,'  beholding  its  world  of  waters,  we  seem  to 
see,  shining  in  the  morning  sun,  some  metropolis  of  the  lakes, 
some  Byzantium,  presiding  over  the  seas  which  lave  its  shores. 
Here,  perhaps,  in  those  bright  days  of  triumphant  civilization, 
some  pilgrim  student  may  inquire  for  the  grave  of  Marquette, 
may  read  the  story  of  Pontiac,  and  lament  the  woes  of  that 
wild  nation  who  once  frequented  the  shores  of  Huron,  and 
sung  their  last  songs  round  the  '  Pequod'e'non'ge '  of  the  Indian, 
the  Mackinaw  of  the  whites." 


f 
I 


■-T&.. 


X 


,1       ^^  ■ 


t,  ! 


ADDENDA. 


For  the  third  time  we  send  forth  this  Uttle  vol- 
ume to  the  world  in  the  hope  that  it  may  edify  and 
instruct  those  who  are  curious  to  know  more  ahout 
the  Mackinac  region. 

At  considerable  expense  we  have  added  a  number 
of  views  of  various  points  of  interest  upon  the 
Island.  Arch  and  Sugar  Loaf  Eocks  are  dupHcated. 
The  smaller  views  of  these  rocks  are  from  pencil- 
ings,  while  the  larger  are  from  actual  photographs. 
Both  are  good.  Sugar  Loaf  Book  is  shown  from 
two  different  points  of  observation,  thus  giving  the 
reader  a  better  idea  of  that  wonder^fu^  "k  than  he 
could  otherwise  obtain. 

Since  this  volume  was  first  published  and  stereo- 
typed, many  improvements  and  changes  have  been 
made  about  the  Island.  The  old  agency  building, 
described  on  page  128,  and  in  which  the  author 
Hved  while  preparing  this  work,  has  been  burned 
down.  Several  fine  new  residences  have  been  put 
up  in  different  parts  of  the  village,  and  the  whole 
Island  considerably  improved. 

FaciUties  for  reaching  the  Island  are  also  greatly 
improved.  At  one  time  during  our  stay  upon  the 
Island  we  were  seven  long  weeks  without  a  mail 


ADDENDA. 


from  the  outside  world ;  now,  during  the  Summer 
season,  a  letter  dropped  into  the  post-office  at  Grand 
Eapids  in  the  evening  reaches  Mackinac  at  noon  the 
next  day.  This  wonderful  improvement  has  been 
brought  about  by  the  completion  of  the  Grand 
Bapids  and  Indiana  Bailroad  to  Petoskey.  This 
line  of  road  is  now  one  of  the  best  in  the  coimtry ; 
the  track  is  smooth  and  the  management  excellent. 

From  Petoskey  to  Mackinac  the  company  i-uns  a 
hne  of  splendid  steamers.  This  trip  is  most  dehght- 
ful  and  interesting,  as  it  brings  the  tourist  T^thin 
sight  of  so  many  points  of  historic  interest.  We 
understand  that  this  company  proposes'to  extend 
the  line  of  their  road  from  Petoskey  to  Mackinac 
at  no  distant  day. 

Those  who  hke  "  much  water  "  may  still  take  the 
old  routes  from  Detroit  or  Chicago  by  steamer  and 
reach  the  Island  by  a  sail  of  from  thirty-six  to  forty- 
eight  hours. 


